


Genesis

by Victorine_Lily



Category: The Walking Dead - All Media Types
Genre: Alexandria Safe-Zone, Amnesia, Blood and Gore, Canon Gay Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Healing, Human Experimentation, Self-Acceptance, Slow Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2016-01-11
Packaged: 2018-03-26 01:16:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 51,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3831754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Victorine_Lily/pseuds/Victorine_Lily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She woke up in a room connected to the bed like a charger and a cord. She woke up in pain, altered, different from what she once was. Yet, she can not remember who she once was. She can't remember what is normal and what is not. Doesn't remember the dead are walking the earth. Doesn't remember anything but the instincts that drive her to run. </p><p>    And run she does. Right into the arms of a man who just might be able to save her from the ever consuming darkness. What did they do to her? What did they alter? What has she become? Can she possible over come what has happened to her? Can she ever be consider normal again? Or will she become a threat to those around her? </p><p>    This is Genesis's story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Encountering Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings all and welcome to my second ever fanfiction! YA!  
> I hope everyone likes this one. It sort of came out of left field for me. Was an idea I had that just did NOT want to go away XD.
> 
> So here are a few things: 
> 
> 1\. This story is an AU, it is set to occur after the season finale of TWD season 5  
> 2\. So WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILERS  
> 3\. In this AU, there is no group going around setting walker traps and such.  
> 4\. Rick and his group have recently begun preparing the ASZ, leading them, and properly preparing them for the world.  
> 5\. Aaron and Daryl are still recruiting people on the outside  
> 6\. This is not some kind of sci-fi story or anything like that. It's about a character who has been, like Rick, in a coma for most of the end of the world. She does not remember how she got there or what happened. All she knows is she was experimented on by some psychopath group during the first part of the end of the world. She does not know what happened to them or what they did to her. Part of the story is figuring it all out and the other part is accepting herself and living past the pain and of course romance with Daryl Dixon.  
> 7\. This is not a story where the girl gets superpowers or is supernatural or anything like that. Only her appearance is unnatural and as will be seen later so is her interactions with walkers.  
> 8\. Lastly, I sadly do NOT own anything in regards to The Walking Dead.

Darkness, the approaching, encrypting darkness was penetrating and suffocating. It stole the breath from one’s lungs, buried one’s beating heart, killed the brain, boiled the body, and effectively dropped a person into the deepest bowls of hell. That darkness is painful, pricking every little nerve with needles and electricity. It caused you to beg for it all to end, beg for a death that was surly never to come, beg for the darkness to fade to light or to more darkness. Fade into something without pain, with peace, with calmness. Wasn’t that what dying was supposed to be like? Wasn’t it supposed to end peacefully? No…death was painful…it hurt something awful.

Nevertheless, what if this wasn’t death? What if this was something worse? It felt worse. It did not feel right. Eyes fluttered open sharply, a body gasped for air like a dying fish, and hands stretched high in an attempt to grasp something that was not there. It was hoping for a lifeline that was not there, something, anything, but reaching and grasping nothing at all. The light was too bright, blinding white, and burning. Flesh seemed to boil with heat, tingled with electricity, and unnatural movement. The body shook, shook harshly, near vibrating off the hospital like bed. Hands lowered, grasped the metal, and pulled upwards. Forcing the body to move, to shift into a sitting position, the owner of that body screamed in agony as pain erupted from the spine. Something had moved, something had been pulled out; many small and sharp things had been pulled when the body sat up. 

Gasping for breath, still suffocating on little air, eyes adjusted to the light. Those eyes snapped around the room, locking on various things. A white room, steel walls, concrete floor, hospital bed, and two long metal tables. One of the tables held various surgical tools and sharp instruments, the other vials and bottles of what must have been medicine, chemicals, and who knew what else. The body shivered, shook from the chill in the room and the over active nerve ending that sparked beneath the skin. Eyes focused on something red on the table, a pool of something, a handprint in red. “H-h-“ The body attempted speech, only to cough harshly as lungs heaved in hopes of taking in air. 

The body was bare, skin the fairest shade of cream, littered with small, healed holes and faint long scars. The owner of that body was confused, lost, blank as a new page in a storybook unsure how the beginning or the end occurs. It was unaware of its origin and even more so of its future. Twitching muscles, forced will, and labored breathing brought the body down the bed. Pale feet touched the cold floor; eyes glanced back in near horror, locking on the twin rows of inch long spines it had been sleeping on. The body had been lying on spines it could feel the sickly sting, and the slimy feel of fluids on its back. Where was it? Where was this body located? Nothing made sense, but for the moment, the pain was less than before. For the moment, this was better than before. 

Pressing pale feet against the cold cement, the body pushed off the bed. Knees buckled another cry of pain, as the floor raced to meet the body. On hands and knees, the body trembled with the effort to stay in a position ready for movement. Eyes flickered up and around to find that no one had come. No one was coming, there was no help here, no the body was alone here. Pushing, straining, the body got to its knees, then to its feet. Shaky and unsteady, the body stumbled to grasp the end of the table. The metallic edge of the table jumped, causing the tools to dance loudly on the surface. It made a lot of noise, but then it was quiet. Knees threatened to buckle again but the body stayed up right this time and it moved along the edge of the table with slow painful steps. 

Eyes focused on the door, cracked open in the corner of the room, basked in fading light. Something slick on the floor tripped up its feet and caused the body to crash to the ground again. Coughing from the pain, labored breathing, the body found the need to spit as a copper taste tainted its mouth. Eyes flickered down and widened at the massive pool of blood the body was now laying in. The body went rigid, the desire to scream burning the back of its throat. Trembling hands moved, forced the body to crawl away from the pool, and forced the body back to standing up. Standing seemed a bit easier now, but the body continued to back away from the pool of blood until its back hit the cold metal wall. 

Gasping at the mixture of pain and chill, the body jerked sharply, arching forward. Gazing down over its self, the body whimpered at the amount of blood that covered its form. Like paint splatter, its skin was a sharp mixture of pale flesh and sickly sticky blood. Its stomach rolled at that moment, the body doubling over as the contents of an empty stomach were expelled onto the floor. The sound of gagging, the scent of vomit and blood tainted the air for several minutes before fading back into silence. The room spun, the air thick, lungs expanded painfully, stomach curled, and muscles trembled. It was as if the body was ready to shut down and…and maybe the body should let it. Let death come, let the darkness come again, but…it was scare of the darkness. Scared of it all, terrified of the pain, and terrified of the fear itself. 

Pushing off the wall, the body shifted to the door, pushing it open, and entering a large office like space. Clinging to the door, the body whimpered at the dimly lit room of a building it did not recognize. Eyes flickered around before focusing on another door, far away, had light coming from underneath it. A way out? People? Answers? 

Gazing over the door, brows knitted together as fingers flickered over fading paint. There was a word there, but the body did not get much time to think on it. The shuffle of something in the darkness caught its eye, its gaze focused deeper into the office like area. Wide like deer caught in a headlight, breathing thickening again at the stumbling creature that wandered out of the shadows. Jaws snapping with hideous yellowing teeth, lips curled back mixing flesh with bone, and hallow glossy eyes that appeared soul-less and dead. Another whimper escaped the body as it pushed away from the door. The creature looked like it was once a man, faded and torn dress pants, blood stained polo with a hole in the center. Intestines like thick disfigured worms wiggled loose of the hole coated in blackish blood and bile. Thing smelt rotten and somehow the body could tell this thing was to be feared. Pushing off the wall, the body raced across the office, keeping to the far side, keeping the desks between it and the creature. Stumbling, using the desks for support, the body eventually made it to that door with the light underneath. 

Twisting the knot, the body quickly disappeared behind it and slammed the door. A sharp thud echoed on the other side, the creature using its weight against the wood. The body held onto that handle, but the knob never turned. With quick, trembling fingers, the body locked the door and backed away. Tears traced its face harshly; a broken sob of fear and terror escaped its lips. Hands raised and clutched to strands of hair, pulling in frustration before the body turned away from the thudding against the door. Turning had caused a sharp gasp to escape the body, caused the hands to lower, and lips to part in shock. Before the body was a full-length mirror in a dingy little bathroom, the light coming from a window. 

The reflection that stared back at the body was like being shell shocked, an unrecognizable person stood there. Was this what the body looked like? Was this who it was? Pressing its back against the door, the body slid to the floor and stared at the reflection in the mirror. The reflection was that of a young woman, late twenties, with cream-colored skin covered in cuts, scars, bruises of various colors, blood and bile. Delicately thin feet led to long legs to wide hips to a slightly concave stomach revealing the lining of her last few ribs. Her chest was full, but shoulders thin still revealing the barest outline of bone. Her arms were long, her hands thin and delicate like her feet. Overall, the body was well proportioned led up to an equally well-developed face. Unnaturally, red lips were the first thing the woman noticed. She reached up, attempted to whip at her mouth hard to get the coloring off her lips, but it seemed stained. The blood red stain seemed to be a part of her, the true color of her lips. What strikes her the most was her hair and her eyes. Steel colored eyes, nearly silver adored with white blonde lashes and eyebrows. Hair was the same white blonde, ruffled from lying in that bed for who knew how long. The hair was shoulder length, slightly curled at the end. 

Hands reached up to tug gently at the strands not believing them to be real. She could not believe her reflect, somehow it felt…wrong but she could not remember what was right. Sitting there, the woman began to realize something that felt even more terrifying. She could remember things, knew she was in a bathroom; she had been in an office, in some sort of hospital bed. Could remember she needed food in her stomach to stop the curling pain, needed water to stop the dryness in her throat, but she could not remember a thing about herself. Who was she? Where was she? How did she get here? What was that creature from before? It was not human; it looked dangerous, like a monster from a child’s fairytale. Tears perked in her silver eyes and she brought her knees to her chest, the door still thudding hard against her back. Wrapping her arms about her knees, her head folded into her knees and she cried. 

Her tears were silent and eventually the thudding disappeared and the light began to fade. After a few hours of crying, she had pulled herself together enough to search the bathroom. She was cold, should not be running around naked as the day she was born. All she could find in one of the cabinets was a tee shirt. It was a big one, light green, and reached down to her knees. How tall was she? Gazing at the mirror, the woman frowned and tilted her head to the side. Was this a man’s shirt? 

Smelt like it, maybe that was why it was so big on her thin form. 

She still could not remember anything, not even a name, nothing. The basics of living, instincts, that was what she could remember. She was sure she could remember words, knew how to talk and all but her throat hurt too much to get anything out. 

Once dressed, she tried the sinks trying to find water but nothing came out. That wasn’t right…right? Water came out of sinks, she was sure of it. Then again, maybe she was wrong. This world seemed familiar but different, strange yet normal. Except for the creature that had been pounding on the door and the woman had to wonder if there were any humans around. Was she alone in this world? That shook her to her core and her eyes flickered towards the window. Darkness was seeping in as the sun faded into the sky and she could not help the choked sob that escaped her lips once again. 

She needed to get out of here, needed to, but she was terrified. She was terrified of going out in the darkness; it was as if every instinct within her body told her that the darkness was bad. She needed to stay out of the darkness, she could not return to that pain. Shifting to sit down again, she pulled her knees to her chest. Leave at first light that is what she would do. She would leave when the sun was up and the world was bright. Huddled in on herself, her body trembled from the chill that was sinking into her bones as exhaustion washed over her over shot nerves. 

Yet, she could not sleep. She did not dare to sleep as darkness slipped into the room and then the softest of light from the moon. At least there was a little light and there was enough to see the door. The one the creature had once been at. She will not go near it, does not dare to go beyond that door. What if there were other creatures out there? They looked dangerous, that one had seen her and had started for her. Maybe, maybe she needed to arm herself. Was not sure if she could kill one of those creatures, maybe if she had to, but she knew enough to know she could not face one unarmed. 

In the pale moonlight, her eyes searched the floor of the bathroom looking for something…anything that could help her. Found a metal nail file in one of the stalls and a spare pipe piece in the little storage unit where the shirt had been. They would have to do and so she continued to sit, the pipe now clutched in her sweating, shivering hands and she waited. She waited and hoped that the sun would rise soon. That she would get out of here, she had to. She could not stay here, she could not, and she knew it. 

It was cold and her eyelids felt heavy, her mind drifted trying to find memories that she did not think were there. It was as if she was blank, white, and brand new. She was empty space that needed to be filled, hallow, and void. Felt as if she was dead, but she was not. There was the pounding of her heart in her ears, the pressure of labored breathing, and the buzzing of thoughts that proved she was very much alive. Yet, that was it. She knew she was alive, understood things around her, but she did not know who she was. Her mind wandered to the room she had woken up in, to the open sores on her back that screamed in dull pain, to the blood, to the creature, and then to the door. The door to that room with the faded painted in black. It had a single word, marking the room she had been in, and she cannot help but wonder if that was who she was. Was she what the word had said…was she Genesis? 

Eventually, exhaustion seemed to win out over her stubbornness. She fell asleep, only slept but a few hours before the warmth of the sun tickled her chilled flesh. Somehow, somehow it was the best feeling in the world. The warmth of the sun on her skin was like a rebirth, she could feel a bit of energy in her body from the feeling. She liked the warmth and could not help but wonder how long she had gone without it. 

Struggling to her feet, limbs cold and numb from the way she slept and the chill in the air, she turned to the window that sat just a few inches above her. It was big enough that she could wiggle through it, she was sure of it. She could only hope it actually would open, that it was not painted shut, or sealed shut. Sighing, the woman shifted into the stall right below the window. Probably could use the toilet to climb out of here, hopefully her limbs would work for her. Everything still felt slow, weighed down, sharp, and painful. It was like electric shocks coursing through her body, just under the skin. Her blood still felt like it was boiling hot, but she did not think she had a fever. 

Taking a breath, she placed one foot on the toilet rim, and pushed herself up. The click of porcelain and plastic echoed in the small room, wobbled enough that she needed to grasp the stall wall for balance. A low whine of pain left her lips as she struggled to keep her balance and reached out for the latch on the window. The click of it unlocking caused a dry, choked laugh to escape her blood red lips. The window took several pushes to open fully, but there was a screen in the way. That took some time to tear into and she found the nail file worked best to tear apart the thin material. Once a hole was made, she instantly grasped the edges with her hands and pulled. 

Flinching as the metallic mesh dug into her fingers, tearing up her palms, she desperately struggled to make the hole big enough. It took some effort and nearly an hour later, she was pulling herself up as best she could, and wiggling through the opening. The sharp ends of the metal mesh tore into her flesh and the fabric of the shirt she wore, creating tiny holes and giving her more cuts. Ignoring the pain in her limbs, the labored breathing, the pounding of her head and heart, she collapsed onto the dew-covered grass of the early morning. 

Lying there, she panted heavily before rolling onto her back. Silver eyes stared up at the large white building she had come from. Considering the placement of the window she had climbed out of, it was clear she had been in the basement of this building or at least one of the lower floors. That did not do much to make her feel better and she decided not to think about it. She did not get long to think about it as a low groan echoed somewhere to her left. Her head snapped in that direction, her eyes widening once more at the sight of more of those creatures. There were at least three here now and it seemed they had caught sight of her.   
Groaning herself, she forced herself to her feet. Clutching the pipe to her hand like a lifeline, she ran. She ran as fast and as hard and for as long as her legs would allow her. The white building was surrounded by woods and it was where her bare feet sent her. Not bothering to look back, she focused on running as the pounding in her head and the pain in her body distorted her world. She swayed, ran into low bushes, was scraped up by branches that reached out for her like those long nails of the creatures she could hear all around her. 

She was not sure how long she had run, she ran until her legs gave out. The woman had weaved throughout the forest, avoiding other creatures, being twisted, and turned around. She had no idea where she was to begin with and figured there was not much use in remembering. The woman would never go back to that building, never so there was no point in remembering it. Her legs decided to give, knees buckling hard, sending her crashing out of the forest and right into black asphalt. Coughing hard, the woman breathed heavily as she shifted to push herself up. 

The world twirled around her like a top, distorting her vision, and making her empty stomach curl with the desire to vomit again. Get up, get up, and get up. It was the only words in her mind, the only chant she could think of as she forced herself onto her hands and knees. A sharp crunch of breaking branches caused her silver eyes to snap upwards and they widened as one of those creatures stumbled out of the forest on the other side of the road. Getting herself to her knees, she was not able to get full up. The first attempt had landed her on her ass, crawling backwards as the creature stumbled forward, soul-less eyes locked on her, jaws snapping.   
Suddenly, it was towering over her and all she could do was stare into those glossy and empty orbs. A whine escaped her lips and then there was a roaring in her ears. The sound was loud and made her want to cover her ears, but she was too focused on the stumbling corpse. What was with all the noise in her head? Left a painful ache behind her eyes and all she could wonder was if this was it. Was she going to die? She did not want to go back to the darkness, did not want to. She did not want to die.

A sharp noise cut through the air, a deep sickening slump, blood and brain matter splattered the ground, and then the corpse was down. Shaking harder, she did not know what to do as the creature laid seemingly dead but five feet from her bare legs. She felt the stickiness of brain matter on her feet, more blood sticking to her form. That was when the roaring stopped and the sounds of footfalls echoed off to her right. Silver eyes instantly snapped in that direction landing on a man and her heart sunk into her stomach. Who was this person? They killed the creature didn’t they? She could see the soft feathers of an arrow in the creature’s skull. Was he dangerous? Was she going to die? 

The man was tall, dark brunette hair, scruffy facial hair, in ratty jeans, a faded plaid button up, and a leather vest. The roar had come from a motorcycle, one the man was moving away from, coming closer to her. The man slowed his stepped stopping roughly ten feet from her. Blue eyes locked with her silver eyes and they stared at one another for a long time. The man’s face was expressionless, but his eyes spoke volumes. A confliction of emotions, but only a few she could understand. She could understand the shock, the fear, the uncertainty, and maybe concern. 

Breathing heavily, she continued to stare the man down until his lips parted and words slipped past. “Ya okay?” The voice was rough and gravelly, deeply accented, and oddly strong. The man held up his crossbow, a sign he was not aiming at her, a sign he was not a threat now. Scanning his form, his stance, she found herself locked into place and unable to answer him. “M’ Daryl…can ya tell me yer name?” He questioned, seeming to try to get her to speak. It seemed like he wanted to get closer but only took a step or two closer. 

She tensed up, her head snapping behind her as more branches shifted and bushes rustled. At the sight of two more creatures, she whined again. She heard the man curse, loading his weapon, and it was in that moment she had enough adrenaline to force herself to her feet. She had nothing, her pipe lost somewhere when she fell, and she could think of nothing but running. She did not know what to do, the fear was snapping her mind, and all she could do was run. Turned sharp in the opposite direction and ran, but she did not get far. 

Ran right into another man, this one taller than the last, she only barely reached his shoulders. He was clean cut, dark hair, and another set of blue eyes. She had barreled right into his chest, but her form, her weight must have been too light for he hardly budged. Instead, he wrapped warm arms around her shoulders and pulled her close as the sounds of the crossbow echoed behind her. He held her trembling form and she found herself unable to move, frozen in place, rooted into the black asphalt. She heard the sounds of the other man approaching and chanced a look over her shoulder. The creatures were dead, on the ground just like before, and the other man was approaching. 

Her trembling must have been horrible for the man holding her tightened his grip. She needed to run she needed to because that was what her body was telling her to do. She was terrified, unsure of these people, yet wanting to cling to them, cling to the first set of people she could remember seeing in a long time. Yet, she did not move. Her arms were locked against her side and her silver eyes darted around wildly from one man to the next. “Shh, shh…you’re alright now. You’re safe.” The man holding her whispered softly, his voice soothing and calm. 

There was nothing in either of their tones that suggested they were one of those monsters or that they were bad people. Once the man holding her seemed sure she was not going to run, he slowly loosened his arms and took a small step back. He gave her space while both men stayed close enough encase she ran or maybe encase she did something, became a threat. “Are you bit?” The man, Daryl, spoke his blue eyes scanning her form. She was a mess of blood, gore, vomit, and mud. There were wounds all over her, cuts, bruises, puncture holes, and who knew what but she did not remember someone or something biting her. No one bit her right? Shaking her head at the man, Daryl seemed hardly convinced but seemed to take her answer for the moment. 

“I’m Aaron.” The other man on her other side spoke, catching her attention. Silver eyes looked over the man then back towards Daryl. “C-can you tell us your name? What happened to you?” Aaron questions and that was when she notices the way they are looking at her. Their eyes, especially Aaron’s expression, screamed shock, fear, and worry, as if they were thinking of a million different reasons as to why she looked like this. She was sure they were not just looking at her odd coloring either. Swallowing hard, she parted her lips and attempted to talk, knew she had to. “D-do-“ A sharp cough escaped her lips, rattled her whole form painfully, left her doubled over and gasping for air. “Shit.” She heard the man, Daryl hiss.

The man grasped her arm in his large hand, his free hand rapidly moving to grasp the edge of her tee shirt. “Daryl.” Aaron spoke concerned. “Gotta make sure she ain’t bit. She sounds sick.” There was hardness in his tone as if he did not want to be checking her form for a bit mark but he is suddenly pulling up her shirt revealing her naked form to the both of them. She starts trembling harsher, watches as Daryl’s eyes widen, heard Aaron’s sharp gasp at the sight of her back. Suddenly Daryl is pulling her shirt back down, gave it a hard extra pull to stretch the material father down. “What the hell happened to you?” Aaron is questioning her now. Daryl and Aaron shared a look, Daryl still holding her arm, and her body cannot stop trembling harder. She whined and the noise caught Daryl’s attention. A flash of guilt crossed his features as he quickly let go of her arm. “Sorry..” He muttered softly, barely a whisper. 

“D-don’t know.” Her voice is harsh, raspy like sandpaper. “Don’t know? Don’t know what?” Aaron speaks, stepping closer. A warm hand touched her shoulder gently, trying to settle the shaking. The man Daryl is chewing on his thumb, swaying slightly in place as if he was ready to start pacing. “D-don’t know…any..thing..” She spoke, her breathing starting to slow and her vision beginning to edge with an oncoming sheet of darkness.

“Anything? You don’t know your name?” Aaron’s testing her. 

She shook her head.

“Don’t know what happened to you?” Daryl questioned.

She shook her head.

“Are you…alone?” Daryl questioned.

She nodded and that was the last movement she could remember making. The world was suddenly enveloped in that dreaded darkness, the spinning the last thing she saw as the ground rushed up to met her. Her body gave up to gravity and something soft slipping past her lips. A single word. 

“Ge-n-esis…..”


	2. Weaving Through Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow...all I can say is that I am so surprised at the reaction people had to this story. I thank you all for reading it, leaving me kudos, and comments. I really hope you like this next chapter then!

It was all around her and she was unable to move. The darkness, it clawed at her flesh ripping it to ribbons of cream color and blood. Infectious, which is what it was. The darkness was infectious. A parasite in the world that dung it’s claws into thick brain matter, wiggled and whipped through your bloodstream, stabbed and rooted around in your heart. It took everything from you, fed off you as if you were its only food source. Drowning you in terror, freezing your blood, making you cry, and making the promise of a deeper darkness real. Maybe this darkness was what would be the end of her. Maybe she could fall for this one and never open her eyes again. Then again, maybe she could never open her eyes again. Maybe she was already in that darkness. Somehow, this darkness was different and the missing element was quick to be pointed out. 

Pain.

Sharp, unadulterated, pain.

There was none of that here, well there was a dull aching in her body, but there was no mind-blowing pain she originally woke up to. The dull aching was tolerable; a gentle reminder of what it was like to wake up with the pain without feeling it. It was in her spine and in her joints, racing along her limbs like a gentle pulse. Yet, it was tolerable. What was strange was the warmth she felt instead. The bone deep, soothing warmth and the splash of water. 

Water? 

She had heard correctly, hadn’t she? There was water in this darkness? How was that possible? The sound was there, but she could not see it. Now, if only she could open her eyes. They felt heavy as if weighed down with little weights and it was the reason she believed she might not be able to open her eyes again. Yet, she wanted to see the water. She wanted to see something other than the deepening darkness and her will drove her body to move. There was a twist as she turned her head, a whine as her eyes attempted to force themselves open, and her body felt suddenly tense.

The tensing was what caused the scream to rip past her lips as she felt something tear. The echo in her mind was sickening, a wet pop, and the tearing that sounded so eerily like tearing paper. Agony shot through her like a shot of adrenaline, built at the base of her spine, shooting upwards with the force of a rocket off its launch pad. 

“Shit.” 

A click, like a lock opening, like a chest being open, a signal, a sound, and her eyes flickered open. Silver stared up at nothing at first, focused on a blurry mass of white stained with thin strands of darkness. It was as if light and darkness were weaving before her vision, attempting to reclaim her soul for one side or another. It took her much too long to focus on the voice, one that seemed to echo from above her, and it took her even longer to recognize the warmth of limbs touching her form.

Skin slick with moisture, wet and dripping, was pressed against a faded plaid fabric. Her chin was balanced cautiously on something hard; something warm and tight held her shoulders. She could not remember feeling so much warmth before; it was bone deep and crushing. It became a yearning before she could even register the fact that the desire was completely instinctual. Her form, trembling with the mixture of chill in the air and pain in her spine, unconsciously leaned into that warmth.  
“Hold her still Daryl. She popped one of the stitches.” Another voice floated from behind her, back and above from the sounds of it. This one, this one was lighter and laced with so much concern she felt undeserving of such kindness. That voice was sweet, deeply accented, yet softer than the men she had met before. The owner of that voice must have been a woman, sounded like it, and her concern seemed deeply laced intertwining every word that slipped past her lips. 

“I’ll have to fix that once we get her back to bed.” A third voice, deep yet undoubtedly soft, softer than anything she had ever heard before. It was gentle, thick, just a touch of gravel, but barely rose in tone more than an octave or so. Warmth erupted from her back as hands pressed into an area on her lower back. A sharp whine escaped her lips and the warmth on her shoulders increased in pressure. “Shhh…” The voice above her gently hushed her, having no doubt endured her scream earlier. “Gotta relax…” It is whispering in her ear, warm breath fluttering the white blonde locks slightly, tickling the sensitive flesh. “Know it hurts…..we’s tryin ta help ya….had ta get ya clean.” It is babbling, speaking words that she cannot fully take in and understand.

We? Yes, she could hear three voices so she knew it was we. Cleaning her? Why would they be cleaning her? Oh right! The blood, the gore, the vomit, the brain matter, and the mud. The second skin she had developed upon waking up in that room, in that hospital bed. The thoughts came to her so slowly, as if being dragged around by the brain through molasses. Everything was slow, yet quiet, yet too loud, and the only thing she could focus on was the warmth. Her head pounded, her skin pulsed with ache, stomach turned, throat felt closed off, yet her breathing was gentle. The soothing voice against her ear seemed to help as the hands on her back moved above. They brushed gently over the skin of her back, never eliciting much pain, yet examining and cleaning her cream-colored flesh. 

“Any idea what caused all that Morgan?” The second voice, the female had spoke and she wondered what they were speaking about. Caused what? What caused what? A warm digit pressed gently against her back, along the outside of one of the puncture wounds caused by the hospital spines. Gasping, she leaned away from the hands and into the body before her. At least, she felt like she had leaned away, maybe she hadn’t? The hands were still on her back and no one seemed the wiser over her movements. Maybe she hadn’t move at all. “Relax…only tryin ta help.” The voice above whispered again. Had he sensed her movement? Had she moved and he was the only one who felt it? Maybe that’s what it was, maybe because they were so close at the moment he had felt it all. The desire to run was burying into her stomach again, chasing a heart that refused to increase its pace, nagging at a mind too slow to understand, and itching at muscles that protests in small shutters with accompanying aches. Silver eyes were dulling over, the mixture of white and dark strands before them were beginning to merge into one. Twisting and twirling in a dance that left her confused, dazed, and sick to her stomach. Someone had reattached the weights to her eyelids forcing her to keep them open against the will of her body.

“There are so many of them.” The soft voice spoke behind her, the owner of the hands. “Looks like some sort of needle caused these…can’t imagine what this woman went through. Looks like she’s been tortured for a long time.” 

Tortured? Was that what happened to her? The pain would make sense, but then again her mind could hardly make sense of much. The blurring mixture of white and dark strands, the pulling on her eyes was making it hard to think, to pay mind to the people around her. She couldn’t run, even if she desired it greatly, and that was terrifying. Yet, it only terrified her mind as her eyes snapped closed and the darkness spread through her brain and limbs once more. 

Falling, falling, she was falling back into the depths of the darkness she could feel it clawing at her ankles pulling her under the surface. It was slipping past her blood red lips, slithering down her throat into the depths of her stomach. Clawing through her pores, into her skin, past cells and muscles, and into the bones. It was as if the darkness was her, yet it was always controlling her, had power over her. The feeling was horrible, terrifying, and she found herself unable to breath. Her chest was tight, her heart hammered in her throat, and her head pounded like metal on metal. 

A low groan escaped her lips, passing like a breath of air, and then suddenly the darkness was retreating. As if burned by touch, it slipped out of her form fast and quick, raw and powerful, and painful as hellfire. Silver eyes snapped open, red lips gasped for air like a dying fish, and instantly her vision took in the sight of a man hovering over her. Brunette, squinted eyes, ragged facial hair, and a deep frown that matched the depths of his blue eyes. Panting heavily, she whimpered as her eyes closed for but a moment before opening again. There was warmth on her shoulders, but she did not feel bare. The soft layer of cotton made it aware to her that she was dressed and beneath her was something softer than what a cloud must have been. 

“It’s okay.” The voice spoke again, the man’s hand pulling her left shoulder up from the softness beneath her. Twisted her onto her side before moving to kneel at the edge of what she came to realize was a bed. “Can’t lay on yer back…” He muttered softly, looking unsure and guilty as if he felt the desire to be here but useless as to what to do. “Ya got a fever….can’t imagine ya feel good.” He’s muttering and she wondered if he was uncomfortable with silence. Must have known she wouldn’t have the energy to use her voice as she laid there and watched him with silver eyes. Somehow, she felt different coming out of the darkness this time around. There was pain, the dull ache in her bones, the pounding of her head, but there was no cold, no harshness, and for that, she was grateful. “Must be confused as hell….” He muttered, looking as if he was talking to himself, those blue eyes narrowed on a spot on the bed.

The fabric was warm, a soft blue color, and somehow so peacefully calming she could not help but stare at the spot too. The silence was there for the longest of time, but it was quiet and somehow soothing. “Morgan patched ya up…said ya got a ton of stitches…tore one in the bath earlier. Yer clean now, gotta rest, and heal up. Can ya…remember anything?” He was speaking so softly, as if speaking above a whisper would cause the world to shatter like glass. Maybe it would? Maybe speaking aloud would shatter the world and plunge them into darkness. She did not wish to go back to the darkness.

The man must have gotten his answer because a small hum escaped his lips when she refused to met his eyes. Her mind was practically blank of all thought, focusing on this moment, this interaction, this feeling, and nothing else. She couldn’t, her body refused it, did not allow her to even attempt to remember or think on anything for very long. “Ya…passed out in the road….Aaron got ya in his car and we came back here….um…a place called Alexandria.” Was he explaining what had happened? Filling the gasps in her memory that she could not because of the consuming darkness. 

“It’s…a community.” He muttered and she could tell he was holding back something, fearful of saying something and she was not sure what that was. “M’ group…..runs things here….now…we take in good people…ya seem lost, but…ya seem like good people. Just…scared.” His voice is soft, slow, speaking only a couple of words scrambled together at a time. “Yer in…Aaron’s house…only place we could think ta put ya….Rick, guy in charge, said it’d be best if ya wake up round familiar faces.” 

“Morgan...got some medical training, patched ya up. Maggie…a….a friend…got ya some clothes…think they’s kinda big but…” He paused and she noticed the hesitation in the word ‘friend’, but the man spoke of these people with familiarity and a certain degree of warmth. Somehow, her mind found it easier to focus on this man’s voice, his words, and the meaning behind it rather than the rest of reality. There was still this guilt in the man’s blue eyes that she could not place as she laid there. “Eric…..Aaron’s partner…got some food for ya…if ya wanna eat.” He spoke again, eyeing her through his long brunette bangs.

Those eyes narrowed at her, something close to a sad smirk coming to his lips as the edges of her vision began to blurr. “Maybe later…” He spoke softly, a hand reached out to push through her white blonde locks. “Ya look sleepy.” Sleepy? Is that what it was? Maybe she was. She couldn’t tell as the blurr gave way to darkness and the vision before her faded. Without warning, she was encased in darkness once more and the world was quiet. 

Voices, voices echoed against the darkness this time. It was not quite, what she wanted; she wanted peace and quiet, softness and calmness. These voices were loud in her head, echoing in such a way that had them weaving within one another. There was nothing that made sense as she listened to it all, her mind couldn’t comprehend it, and it made her dizzy. She wanted to hold her head, curl up in a ball, and never ever hear these voices again. Some were harsh and cruel, others soft and gentle, some terrified and crying, and still others were violent and deadly. Nothing made sense as the dance of voices cascaded through her skull like a racket ball, bouncing hard off the walls of her mind. 

“Genesis.”

The single voice, booming loudly, was what did it. Gave her body unnatural adrenaline, shocked her nerve endings with electricity, and forced her body upright. The movement caused a startled gasp to escape her lips, a silent scream escaping open red lips, and silver eyes veiled in darkness that was so different from the one that clawed at her soul. Breathing heavily, shoulders forced themselves up and down in an attempt to get air into burning lungs. Silver eyes burned with unshed tears as her heart hammered in her chest. Then, it was quiet…no it was still quiet and it took her a moment to realize the sun had long since set and the room was encased in the darkness of night. There was barely a sliver of moonlight from the window that sat across from her and she stared. She sat there and stared out the window, eyes on the darkness, thoughts and images fluttering through her mind at breakneck paces. 

She couldn’t pick one out from the other until they landed on the spot where the man who had been at her bedside was earlier. Was it earlier? How long had she been out? The room she was in was quiet and bare, completely empty except for herself. There was a door to her right, across from the bed she was on, there was light along the base between the frame, and carpet covered floor. It felt strange here, as if this was unnatural and some sort of surreal reality. Part of her had expected to wake in that hospital bed again, in the metallic room, in the unknown building. Yet, as she twisted her form slightly and gazed at nothing but fluffy pillows instead of sharp spines, she gave an auditable sigh in relief. 

The sound seemed to signal someone, like a bell or a call, and a shadow traced the bottom of the door. The shadow mixed over the light, hobbled slightly, then the metal doorknob was twisting. It was slow, careful, and fearful as if the noise of the gentle creak would already awaken a woken person. A head poked into the opening of the door and light flooded the room from the hall. It was not close enough to reach her, keeping her in the shadow of night. This person was new, different clearly but somehow unrealistically gentle and sweet. “Well, looks like you are up sweetie.” The voice spoke as the door fully opened, revealing a man who hobbled around with a single crutch. Light brown hair and light brown eyes, a gentle face with the barest of smiles as if seeing her awake was the greatest joy for him. She was confused and quiet, unsure of her own voice, and not willing to let it work. 

There was a dull ache in her body and she felt stiff, unknowingly dealing with a wrapping of thick bandages from her hips to her collarbones. “Had us a bit scared you know..” He commented gently as he moved into the room, pulling a chair from the corner of the room. “Been out for nearly three days.” The man informed her, yet there was no sign of anger or disappointment for her having slept for so long. “I’m Eric….we haven’t met yet.” He informed her, clearly willing and ready to be chatty with her. Did not seem like he was waiting for her to answer and for that she was grateful as his voice carried on. “Daryl and Aaron are out right now, but they’ll be back soon. They went hunting and I am sure they will be just as excited as I am to see you awake. How do you feel?” Eric questioned reaching out his hand to gently grasp the one she held gently on her lap.

She didn’t react much to the man taking her hand, maybe she tensed up slightly, but her silver eyes remained on his face and the pure concern she saw there. Red lips moved, tongue feeling numb behind her teeth moved in an attempt to speak, say something. “S-ore.” Was all she managed out watching as Eric’s lips split his face into an even bigger grin. “Ya? I bet…how about some meds to help?” He commented as he let go of her hand and turned to a small wooden bedside table she had not realized was there. His hands fiddled with a few bottles of pills, putting certain ones in his hand before taking an unopened water bottle in the other. “Here…” He commented holding them out to her and silver eyes just stared blankly, unsure, and uneasy. Slowly, her hand rose from the spot it was placed on her blanket covered lap. Taking the pills, she noticed her delicate hand trembling as thin fingers laced around the pills. 

Bringing them to her mouth, her silver eyes remained focused on Eric as a curl of fear slithered in her stomach. He must have heard the quickening of her breath because his smile split face relaxed into a gentle frown. “Now, now….just relax. I’m not going to hurt you. No one is.” He gently reassured her. Why did she believe him? Why did she want to believe him even with the curl of fear in her belly? Maybe….maybe she wanted to believe because she had no one else? Would she do anything these strangers asked of her for acceptance? For fear of rejection? It was not a thought she wished to entertain but somehow….just somehow she felt like that was what she was doing now as she took the pills and water. 

The taste of water on her mouth was addicting and suddenly she was swallowing as much water as her mouth could take in. Ignoring the droplets of liquid down her chin, she swallowed like a starving man, both hands holding tight to the plastic bottle. “Hey hey!” Eric is suddenly scolding her, grasping her hands and pulling the bottle from her lips. A choked cough escaped her lips mixed with a painful whine at the denial of something her body clearly desired. Tears were beginning to burn her eyes as the soul crunching dread of denial and pain leached off her mind. “Hey…hey shh..” Eric is shushing her softly, but holding sharp to the bottle of water and her hands. “It’s okay…you can have the water…just can’t drink it so fast or you’ll get sick..” He spoke gently and she could feel her chest moving contrastingly with the force of taking in much needed air. “Morgan said you were very dehydrated and beyond starving when you came here….so you can’t go eating or drinking too fast or you’ll be sicker than you are now.” 

“S-sick?” She spoke suddenly her body going rigid, her grip no longer tight on the bottle of water. Her breaths began quick and harsh, shattering her whole form as the word sunk into her mind. Sick? She wasn’t sick! Was she sick? Was that why her eyes and hair and lips were different? Was that was everything was different and painful and confusing and terrifying? “I-I’m not sick..” She hissed out as tears began to trace her pale features, her voice harsh and croaked in her own ear. “Not sick….not sick….not sick…not sick..” It was like a chant in her head, something telling her she was not sick. She was not sick, not disgusting, and the thought of anyone seeing her like that made her deathly depressed and terrified. Is that how these people saw her? As something sick and disgusting? Would they get rid of her because of what she was…whatever it was she was? 

She refused to look at Eric now, but she could feel his hands tighten around her own, around the bottle that had been lowered from her lips. “B-but..”He seemed at a loss for words, his voice trembling in confusion and fear. He worried about having upset her; unsure of what he said to make her like this. “Your unwell, sick…not feeling well.” Eric tried to speak, convince her she was sick, but it was not the same sick she had heard. “Not sick…not sick.” She continued to hiss through her teeth, her body shaking, rocking gently as her silver eyes stared at the blankets but did not focus on them. She wasn’t sick, she wasn’t. She couldn’t be…could she? Was her form that disgusting? Unable to help herself, hands rose to the white blonde locks and pulled, hard. “I-I didn’t ask to look like this….” She suddenly whispered in the darkness of the room. “I’m not sick…..I’m not…..don’t want to look like this….but I’m not sick…” 

“Look like…?” Eric commented softly, his body tense beside her, his hands still holding the bottle in her lap. It was as if he had not even thought of how she looked when he made the comment. “No, no…” He suddenly spoke, his voice coming out in a scold as his hands grasped her own. “Stop that.” He growled out softly causing silver eyes to lock on the man instantly. There was a painfully scolding look on the man’s face, but no malice or anger. “I wasn’t commenting on your appearance….I-I’m not sure why you look the way you do, but you’re not sick like that.” He tried to convince her, tried to tell her. “I meant you are physically ill…you’ve had a fever, you’re body is trying to heal from all those wounds.”

“Fever?” She whispered as if the chanting spell that had been cast upon her was somehow snapped in the darkness of the room. “Yes, a fever..” Eric spoke, still holding tight to her wrists, attempting to tug her hands from her hair. “Y-you…don’t think I’m sick….” She whispered, brows knitted together with the need to know. “No, not like that…..I mean you look different…but it’s not bad.” 

It’s not bad? The way she looked was not bad? “But….it’s not right.” She spoke, the fight in her body fading as her hands were lowered to her lap. She had had no strength to tear at the unnaturally white like hair anymore and it had been easy for Eric to move her hands. “Not right?” Eric echoed her words and she nodded. “Not right…I’m not supposed to look like this.” She replied and watched as Eric’s soft brown eyes widened slightly. 

“Wha-….what are you suppose to look like then?” Eric questioned, his voice going soft again, gentle in her ear. It had a soothing effect it seemed for her body relaxed slightly and it seemed like the tension was disappearing, leaving behind a tired aching exhaustion. “I…don’t know..” Was her reply, a painful answer that made the tears in her eyes flow just the tiniest bit heavier. 

“Hey…it’s okay.” Eric hushes her again, a gently hand leaving one of hers to touch her cheek, wiped at one of her eyes like a child. “Don’t know anything…” She whispered pulling her hands from Eric, shifting her body away from the man. The desire to run was boiling her tired body again, rushing through her veins, and all she could do for the moment was pull as far away from the man as possible. This resulted in her pained and battered body to press against the wall the bed was against, arms wrapped around her waist, knees drawing up but unable to hold onto them. Eric was quiet, as if unsure or unable to answer or speak with her anymore. The sound of a door opening, the clatter of boots against the floor, soft conversation, and the closing of said door echoed up from the lower floor. 

“Eric!” A voice called, attempting not to be too loud, but wishing to call out for the man that sat across from her. She didn’t look up, but she could feel Eric’s eyes on her before he shifted. The chair scuffed on the floor as he turned his head towards the doorway. “Up here hon!” He called, his voice a bit loud, but he did not move much farther. Seeming to understand where Eric was, the voice that had called for him moved. The sounds of hurried boots on wooden floor, then muffled by carpet, echoed in the house. Without warning, the door to the room opened fully and silver eyes caught the sight of the brunette man she had woken up to before. “She’s up.” He spoke, breathless and surprised, yet somehow unbelievably relieved. “Y-ya…just woke up.” Eric spoke as another body entered the room. 

Movement occurred next to her and then the bed was dipping slightly as someone sat down next to her. “Hey…” The familiarly gruff, gravely toned voice spoke to her and that caused her eyes to flicker. Silver met deep revealing blues, taking in the face that held little emotion, the one with squinted eyes and ragged scruff. “D-daryl?” She questioned, her mind providing the name before she could think much upon it. The sound of his name in the air must have been pleasing for the man’s eyes sparkled as his lips curled in the barest hint of a smile. “How ya feeling?” He questioned, voice even yet barely hiding the hints of concern in his tone. “She’s sore…and….isn’t doing so good with the idea of not remembering anything.” Eric spoke, causing silver eyes to flicker his way.

Aaron, she recognized the other man almost instantly as he stood behind Eric, who still sat in the chair. The man’s arms were around Eric, his lips pressed intimately and lovingly to Eric’s throat. Those blue eyes were locked on her when Eric spoke and Aaron slowly moved to a more comfortable position. Their closeness was somehow endearing and comfortable and she could not feel anything but a small seed of joy to see that there was something other than the darkness she felt out there. “She’s worried about how she looks….says she’s not supposed to look like….that..” Eric spoke, showing he was clearly excessively open with his words, pouring over everything like an overly concerned wife over a child. “Well…no one is supposed to be covered in so many wounds.” Aaron spoke looking her over and she could not keep her eyes in that direction any longer. “Ya’ll heal.” Daryl spoke to her, catching her attention as a mouse caught in a trap. She didn’t bother correcting them, it felt silly to because it seemed like they did not understand. The wounds did not bother her, though they really should, they should take up a good amount of concern all things considered. No, she was concerned for her unnatural appearance and if these men thought, she looked strange they did not let on about it. Maybe….maybe she was supposed to look like this? Or rather it was okay to look like this? Maybe they did not think she was sick or disgusting like this? 

She was confused and the little interaction was beginning to bore into her form with penetrating exhaustion. “Genesis….why don’t you get more sleep.” Aaron spoke, not demanding but highly suggesting. That word, that single word had silver eyes widening, throwing the exhaustion on a back burner in her mind. “What?” She questioned looking at Aaron with shock and disbelieve and suddenly the man looked just as unsure as she did. That word. That word had been on the door of the room with the hospital bed. It was like a plaque in the back of her mind. Some sort of tortured claim of an identity she was not sure was even hers. Was that who she was, was she really this Genesis person like the door had pointed out? Was she? “That was the last thing ya told us ‘fore ya passed out.” Daryl spoke, seeming to understand her confusion. “Thought it was…like some kind of name. Your name.” Aaron finished, a soft blush coming to his cheeks with the fear that he had done something wrong.

“Is that your name?” Daryl questioned and she could not keep her silver eyes from locking back on the man. “I…I don’t know….” She whispered, her left hand coming to her head as the pounding behind her eyes increased. The exhaustion was no longer waiting on a back burner, refusing to be ignored, and pushing forward through her psyche. She didn’t want to go back to the darkness when she had been in the light for this long already. “W-was on the door…where I woke up.” 

“Do you…know your name?” Aaron questioned from the side and she shook her head.

“Are you alright with Genesis? We could call ya something else….anything ya want..” Daryl commented before her and she again shook her head. 

“It’s….the only thing that makes sense….” She whispered as her hand lowered and her body began to slump against the wall. It was really the only thing that made sense. It had been on the door to the room where only she was at. Somehow, she felt it was some sort of identification for her even if it was not really a name nor really her name. It felt, familiar, and it felt right as if it was suppose to be something like that. For now, it would work until her mind decided to crack the seal on the memories that must have been buried deep within her skull.

“We can call you Gen for short then.” Eric spoke happily as if having a name for her was somehow all the man wanted. 

“Gen?......” She whispered, the blurr coming back to her vision as her body began the process of shutting down against her will. “I…like Gen…” Was all she could mutter, barely a whisper as her eyes closed and darkness took hold of her once more. Before the consuming of her conscious, she had felt warm hands guide her down, something pulled around her form, and suddenly there was this strange feeling of warmth and safety in the pit of her stomach. Somehow, she did not want that feeling to disappear ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's on tumblr XD
> 
> http://lovesickemerald.tumblr.com/


	3. Trying to Escape Darkness

The next time her eyes opened, she was greeted with the softest light from the rising sun and the warmth that buried deep into her flesh. Somehow, her lips remembered how to smile as a small feeling of joy erupted in her chest of such a simple little thing. Who knew that waking up to the sun slowly rising into your face and eyes was something to express joy over? Her body was covered in the thick blue comforter, cocooned like a caterpillar ready for its transformational process. It was warm and it enveloped her whole form and brought on such a strange sense of comfort. 

This time waking from the darkness had been easy and slow, gentler and kinder then before. It had been greeted with the morning sunlight and the thick scent of food hanging in the air. Food? The idea of food seemed to awaken her long since dead stomach as it rumbled in protest from being empty for so very long. A hand was place gently over the rumbling, the smile upon her face deepening just a hair. However, the feeling of cotton and then thickness caught her off guard. Using her free hand, the comforter of the bed was pulled back as silver eyes took in her own form. 

Gen was dressed in a pair of black sweats and a green tank top. Just beneath the cotton of the tank top, however she could make out the thick bandages that seemed to take up most of her torso. Somehow, the sight of those bandages reminded her of the wounds that littered her body and a sickening void seemed to open up in the pit of her stomach. There was the sudden reminder of knowing nothing, remembering nothing, but the pain and the cuts and the holes of her flesh. What had happened to her? Where had she been? How long would she have to think about what she could not remember? Was it better to just…forget? Maybe she was supposed to forget? Did she even want to remember what happened to her? Maybe it wasn’t good?

So many thoughts crossed her mind that she found herself laying in bed for a good twenty or so minutes before her body seemed to recognize a rather basic need from sleeping so long. Warmth crossed over her face as she laid there for a moment or so before forcing her body to a sitting position. The house she was in was rather quiet, maybe Eric and Aaron were still sleeping? Nevertheless, there was the scent of food in the air so someone had to be up. Maybe it was Daryl? However, did Daryl even live here? 

Taking her bottom lip between her teeth, the flesh was worried as silver eyes scanned the room before recognizing that there were two other doors besides the one that led to the rest of the house. Maybe this room had a bathroom in it? 

With slow, unsure movements, she shifted on the bed. Placing bare feet upon the carpet, Gen could not help but take a moment to move her toes through the thick fabric. It was a strange sense of comfort, though it still gave her a strange sense of surrealism. Why did a house like this seem so…out of place? Was there suppose to be houses like this? People living in them? A part of her thought, ‘ya this was how a person lived’, but another part of her whispered eerily ‘but not anymore’. 

Shaking her head, her legs tensed and she pushed off from the bed. The effort to stand was shaky and it took her a moment to find her balance without the desire to fall back onto the bed. Stiffness, sore, and achy is how her body felt. It was bone deep, penetrating but with the absences of pain, it was somehow more bearable. How long had she been living with such pain to have this much relief over not having it anymore? Eh, just another question to add to her already long list of questions she was unsure would even be answered. 

Wandering the room, Gen opened the closest door, which sat next to the one that lead out into the hallway. It was a closet, simple and modest with just a few hangers and a few pairs of clothes. Oddly enough, the clothing looked too small for a man to wear and seemed a bit girly...well if the pink shirt or two was anything to go by. Daryl had said Maggie had dressed her right? The woman with the soft, but strong voice who had helped get her clean. Maybe she had left her more clothes then what she was dressed in. She felt the desire to thank this Maggie person…well when she got the chance anyway. 

Not bothering to close the closet door, Gen made her way to the other door to find that she had been right in her assumptions. This room indeed had a bathroom, which gave her some relief. She was not sure she wanted to go wandering someone else’s home just to use the bathroom. It was a standard need, but it felt strange considering she hardly knew these people. The bathroom was simple like the bedroom, large enough for a standing shower, a sink, and a toilet. Closing the door behind her, Gen took no time in doing what she needed to do. 

Once done, she could not help but stare at the sink and then back at the toilet. Something did not…feel right. The toilet had water in it, but the ones in the building she had woken up in had not. The sinks there had not worked either and something told her that there should not be running water. Yet, when she reached out and grasps the handle of the sink faucet the thing spurts out water in a gentle stream. This was…normal…right? Then why did it feel so wrong? Like it hadn’t been like this for a long time? It made no sense in Gen’s mind as she washed her hands and face, drying them on a small hand towel that hung on the wall. 

Silver eyes caught her reflection in the mirror above the sink and she paused. For the second time, she found herself taking in her appearance. This time, it seemed different then even before. Sure, her hair was still a white blond like her eyelashes and her eyebrows but they seemed more silver then white. Her skin looked white, but there was a dusting of freckles over her nose. The only things that looked exactly the same were the blood red lips and the silver eyes. Was this because she was clean now? The pale cream-colored skin certainly looked healthier than it had before and she found herself touching her cheek in wonder. It still felt wrong looking the way she did and why had she mistaken Eric’s words about her being sick?

He had been talking about the fact she had a fever and was physically sick, but she had taken it, as her appearance was sick. Was it the word? She did not like the word sick very much and wondered if she had been called that before. Maybe her appearance had been called that before and her mind had jumped into some unknown memory when Eric had said the word. It certainly made her stomach clench. These people did not seem upset over her appearance, even if she knew they should, they did not. It bothered her something fierce though and she wished she had an explanation for it all. Sighing heavily, silver eyes diverged from the mirror and her formed moved out of the door and back into the bedroom.

The scent of food was stronger than before and there was the sound of movement. It sounded like it was below her, soft conversation and boots on wooden floors. Her stomach rumbled harshly, causing a flinch in her eye at the harsh reminder. “Okay okay…” She muttered to herself as her silver eyes locked on the closed bedroom door. Would it hurt to go downstairs and get some food? Would they be mad if she left the room? Worrying her bottom lip again, Gen moved to the door and hesitated. She was hungry and Daryl had talked about food at…at well some point. She honestly was not sure how often she was awake and how often she was sleeping over the last few days. She was still sore, but it seemed easier to move around now. 

As her stomach rumbled painfully once more, she figured she had nothing to lose by venturing downstairs. If anything, she had something to lose by not going, by going hungry. That really would not be good considering the amount of work these people had put into getting her patched up and helping her heal. Why would they do that anyways? She was not sure, but somehow felt it would be too rude to ask them about it.

Breathing deeply, feeling her chest constrict slightly, Gen allowed the breath to pass her lips in a gentle release before she opened the door. The hallway was dark, basked in light from the sun coming through a window at the end of the hall past the stairs. The sun was not nearly as high in the sky as she had thought it might be, but it seemed that people were early to rise here. Slow, gentle, and quiet was how she walked down the length of the hallway. Her ears strained to hear, follow, and listen to the voices and movements within the house. She could easily recognize them as the men she had first run into and then Eric, who she had met not that long ago. 

Going down the stairs was far more challenging then going down the hallway or going to the bathroom. Each step downwards she took agonizingly slow as it forced her feet to dip lower than the rest of her body, pulling everything, stretching everything just enough to hurt. It pulled at the stitching in her back and what must have been stitches in her legs and hell maybe some on her arms. She was amazed at the lack of squeaky floorboards or groaning wood as she eventually made it to the bottom. Voices were flooding over her from somewhere to her left where an open doorway gave her enough view of a dining room, an attached kitchen, and some door which must have lead to something like a garage was wide open. 

Sucking on her bottom lip once more, she felt herself limp, body overly sore and somehow exhausted from what should have been a simple trek down the stairs. However, the closer she got to the doorway, the more her confidence seemed to shrink and back deeper into the darkness of her soul or wherever it was confidence liked to disappear to. “So when’s the next hunt?” She could hear Eric questioning as she stood next to the doorway, her body leaned against the wood trim and the wall, not really going much farther in. She was close enough to peek into the rooms through the doorway, without truly standing in them. 

Eric was in the kitchen, his back to her as the scent of food encircled the room. Somehow, it honestly smelt like pancakes or some sort of warm breakfast thing like that. It made her mouth water slightly along with the bitter scent of coffee. “Two days.” A gruff voice echoed from the open door, it must have been from a garage considering the amount of echo that bounced back. “Ain’t seen much, not with winter comin.” She recognized that voice almost instantly. Daryl. The man’s name came to her mind faster than anything else, somehow stuck in some place within her mind. He had been kind to her so far, well besides the shirt thing. Why had he needed to see if she had been bitten? The recent memory made her frown made her feel a little skittish. Was Daryl going to do something like that again? Was it something to worry over? Then again, he had looked awful guilty over something hadn’t he? Maybe it had been something he did not want to do, but felt needed to be done? 

“Well, Rick’s planning a few more runs before we get any snow. I hope that the solar panels will help keep this place warm. Though I guess there isn’t a lot of sun when it snows.” Eric was rattling on, seemed like the man liked to do that. “Oh well, at least you and Aaron will be behind the walls more considering how hard it will be to travel in snow, hunting for people and stuff.” There was a grunt in what might have been agreement from the garage, a few banging noises, and then Daryl was wandering into the kitchen. His eyes focused on the red rag he was using to wipe off his hands. Those blue eyes rose enough to gaze over what Eric was cooking, a frown coming to his lips pretty quickly. “Sure she can has that?” He spoke softly, before pointing at the food. “Morgan said light food high in things like fat and all the good stuff. Can’t think of nothing better than pancakes…even if it’s just the kind you add water too.” Honestly, the man sounded disappointed at that, but his face never showed it. Daryl seemed to take what Eric said with a nod of the head.

Daryl was worried about what she could and could not eat? Why? Did it matter? She was hungry and that’s all she could think about and care about. What did it matter what she ate? Oh, there was something Eric had said wasn’t there? Something about how she couldn’t eat or drink too quickly or she’d get ill again? She did not want to get ill again. Or get worse? Was she still ill even though the fever seemed like it was gone? 

“You think too loudly.” 

A voice echoed behind her and it was enough to give her a jolt. The shock from being unfocused and caught off guard went right to her heart and she gave a rather pitiful yelp at being startled. Quickly, she placed her hand over her chest feeling the hammering of her heart behind her ribs as her breathing picked up. Silver eyes hesitantly glanced over her shoulder, meeting the eyes of a very concerned looking Aaron. The playful tone of his voice from before was gone with whatever expression he had had. “Shit, sorry. Didn’t mean to make you jump.” He spoke gently. “Aaron.” Eric’s usually, well for her usually pleasant and soft voice had turned   
sharp and scolding. 

Silver eyes were quick to flicker back to the two in the other room, now fully alert to her presence. Eric was leaning heavily against the counter, his crutch just to the side with his arms crossed as the spatula in his right hand tapping against his left arm. Even Daryl, though quiet and seemingly unfazed by the yelp was glaring slightly in Aaron’s direction. “Don’t go giving her a heart attack. She’s finally up, though…” Eric spoke, his soft brown eyes now focused on her and narrowing. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea for you to be outta bed Gen.” He commented, the scolding still there but far less than what he shot Aaron. 

A sinking feeling curled her stomach, dropping it farther and farther in her body. Her bottom lip, while impossible to tell, was being pressed threateningly tight by white teeth. Heart hammering and breathing difficult, her shoulders moved with the effort to breath and the desire to run was back. It was like electricity in her veins, sparking her nerve endings, and urging her to run from this place, from this situation, and these people even if these people had saved her life. However, before she could do anything her stomach seemed to betray her fear as it rumbled loudly in the now silences of the room.

Wrapping her arms around her stomach, Gen felt her cheeks warm as silver eyes closed against the painful lurch of a nagging stomach. God, she felt the desire to run so badly now as if it would solve everything and she could be fine. She didn’t know these people, they were strangers too her, and even if they had helped her she was embarrassed by her neediness and selfish desire to cling. Waking up in that room, alone had been terrifying, and it had been more terrifying to think it was just her and the monsters now. 

The silence, which had felt like an eternity to her, ended fairly quickly as a soft chuckle echoed from the kitchen followed by a snickering. Glancing up, Gen frowned at the sight of Daryl shaking his head in an attempt to hide the fact that he had indeed chuckled at her. The snickering came from Eric and it was open and bright. She could even hear a huff of amusement from Aaron behind her and as much as she felt embarrassed to think they were laughing at her, somehow that sound stole her breath away. 

It was a beautiful sound, laughter, and it somehow touched her so deeply inside she felt her eyes begin to burn with tears that desired to fall. How many times was she going to cry? It seemed like it was becoming something that happened to her too much lately, but that sound she simply could not help it. Laughter touched something so deep within her chest, it warmed her soul and somehow it felt like the darkness was pushed down and deeper than before. 

“Oh no, don’t cry.” Eric is instantly fusing, his laughter gone, but she can’t help it. Keeping her arms wrapped around her waist, she only raises her left hand to cover   
her mouth as a sob breaks through. The laughter is gone so quickly, like a candle’s flame flickering out and somehow it’s as if the darkness is back and clawing at her soul. A warm hand touched her back and began to guide her into the dining room. “Let’s just get you something to eat.” Aaron spoke softly as he guided her into a chair at the table before he moved into the kitchen to comfort a now distressed and overly worried looking Eric. 

Silver eyes were focused on the table, vision blurry from the tears, but it was not long before another warm body was leaning over her. A white coffee mug was placed before her, steaming and filling the air with the bittersweet scent. The hand that was not on the mug touched her shoulder gently and thick fingers dug into her shoulder gently. Those fingers dug and rubbed at her bare flesh for but a moment before that body sat down in the chair next to her. Wiping at her eyes quickly, a soft sniffle escaped her lips before her eyes settled on Daryl who now sat next to her. “T-thanks.” She muttered softly reaching out to grasp and then cradle the warm mug in her hands. 

“S-sorry…” She whispered softly into the silence room. It must have caught everyone’s attention considering movement from Eric and Aaron had stopped. “I can’t….I can’t remember the last time I heard someone laugh.” There is a smile touching her lips now as she tried to right the situation, the miscommunication that she seemed to be gifted with. “Felt so good to hear…I guess I got emotional.” Gen spoke as her silver eyes glanced towards the kitchen at Eric and Aaron. Eric had a sad look in his eye, but he seemed to understand, while Aaron looked relieved over the reason. Glancing at Daryl, Gen was a bit surprised to see the gentle, barely there smile that was twisting at the corner of his lips. She had a feeling Daryl did not smile very often, so maybe this was a moment she should keep to herself. That expression was there for but a moment or two before the firm line of his lips was back, allowing his eyes to express more than his lips ever would. “Drink, it’ll warm ya up.” He muttered as he took up his own cup.

Silver eyes flickered towards the steaming cup of coffee. Blowing on it for a moment, Gen could not resist the soft moan as she took a healthy drink. The warmth that penetrated her mouth, her throat, and deep within her stomach was familiar yet all at once new. It warmed her to her core, chased out some of the chill in her body, and left a small smile upon her face. She could hear laughter again, a little giggle from Eric as Aaron helped the man get the food to the table.   
Gen’s first meal, God in who knew how long, consisted of pancakes, powdered eggs, and coffee. Eric complained about being able to cook better than this, but was limited by resources and had to do what he could. Gen could not careless if everything had come from a box or was homemade, it all was delicious and chased her hungry away. However, Daryl seemed keen on keeping her portions small and only allowing her so much of everything. 

She ate in silence as Eric, Aaron, and occasionally Daryl talked about this and that. They talked about Alexandria and what it had to offer, what their jobs were in the community, and how she would probably be assigned to help somewhere too when she was healed. They talked about hunting, supply runs, and things they would need for the winter. There was a mention, a word thrown around, that caught Gen by surprise. “What’s…a Walker?” She finally spoke up towards the end of the meal. That seemed to clam everyone up pretty quickly and Gen was a bit worried she had brought up a question that she should not have. 

“Member those things…on the road?” Daryl questioned her, catching her attention quickly. Thinking of the monsters, Gen’s brows knitted close together and she nodded her head. The thought of those things, the images buried in her mind over what little she had seen, sent a chill down her spine. “Theys Walkers…zombies or some shit…” 

“Zombies?” Gen questioned, sounding stunned as she gazed towards Aaron and Eric, wondering if what Daryl said was actually true. There was a shared look of pity, guilt, and a bit of sadness in their eyes as if they were so use to this and sad that she knew none of this. “Yes sweetie.” Eric mutters, reaching out a hand to gently take the one she has resting on the table. “It’s been nearly over a year…second winter…since it all happened.” He explains softly. “O-Over a year!?” Gen whispered, fearful of raising her voice any more than that. “T-those things have been around for over a year?” Aaron is nodding in response to her question and suddenly it’s as if she can’t breathe.

Her chest feels tight as her heart hammers and her lungs burn over the breath that she cannot help but hold as a sickening truth sets in. Those monsters have been around for so long and she could not remember them!? How could she forget those monsters? How could she forget surviving in this world, because she must have survived to be alive at this point. “Gen…breathe.” Daryl spoke up, she can hear him but her mind is far away suddenly. His warm hand is on her shoulder, shaking her slightly in an attempt to pull her from her mind. 

Questions swirled in her mind, throwing ideas back and forth as if it would somehow give her the answers she was seeking. What had happened to her? What had happened to her? How could she not remember something as horrifying as those creatures!? Creatures who could clearly kill someone and she was not dumb she knew what a zombie was. Why the fuck did she know what a zombie was anyways? Well, those creatures were certainly not her idea of a zombie. No, she could remember old zombie movies and those things, those creatures were much more terrifying. Fuck and dangerous and she had nearly been killed half a dozen times running from the building until she ran into Aaron and Daryl. 

Wait…that’s why Daryl asked if she had been bitten? Something clicked immediately, something strangely clicked and suddenly she’s remembering to breath. Her breaths come out in sharp and short, and she can hear Daryl sigh at the fact she’s breathing again. 

“That’s why you asked if I was bit.” She stated sharply, her eyes locking on Daryl instantly. She felt something twist in her body, felt strangely unhinged as strange facts rambled through her brain and suddenly they were spilling out of her mouth faster than she could think of them. Her hands flailed as she spoke, some mixture of excitement, surprise, horror, and information. 

“That’s right…that’s right you get bit and then you turn into one of them. Your adrenal glands hemorrhage leading your brain to basically die…loss of blood and nerve death and synapse failure…. and then the shutdown and then the rest of body follows. One organ after another until there’s nothing...then…it restarts you, kicks up the brain steam. God…it kicks up the part of the brain responsible for breathing and heart rate and consciousness. We even saw it kicking up parts of the cerebellum, giving them posture and balance and movement. There was even some movement in the occipital lobe for vision and even a little in the motor area….”

“Damn things had no frontal lobe activity…nothing noting anything regarding speech or memory or personality...had to be something in the frontal lobe for behavior considering how they act. Their sensory had to be jump started somehow by the virus or they wouldn’t understand the difference between one another and the living, they wouldn’t know how to move in herds, or anything like that.”

“Oh God….that’s right…the virus is already in us…TS-19 showed us what happens when you get bit, but it was TS-24 who came back after killing himself and then TS-25 that showed us we’re all infected….we’re all infected..” She muttered softly, her voice trailing off in volume as her breathing comes out painfully hard and labored as she sat there in a dumbfound silence. 

Three sets of eyes were on her, shock, surprise, and confusion all hung heavily in the air around her. Sitting there quietly, Gen gasped for air before a low groan escaped her lips. Silver eyes closed as she pushed her plate away from her, rested her elbows on the table, and held her head. There was a deep throbbing pain behind her eyes now, caused her eyes to water, and it made everything she had just been thinking about, just been saying turn fuzzy and confusing. 

“Did…you say TS-19?” Daryl questioned his voice tense and a bit dark, like a bad memory was sparking behind his blue eyes. “I-I think..” Gen muttered. “I think you just remembered some things…” Aaron spoke, seeming to feel the desire to point out the obvious. “Who are ‘we’?” Eric questioned watching as Gen shook her head slowly. “I-I don’t remember…I-I don’t know…eh….my head hurts…” She whimpered softly, feeling Daryl’s warm hand gently press against the back of her neck, giving a little squeeze in an attempt to help with the pressure. “Well…ya remember somethin’….’member anyone named Jenner?” Daryl is suddenly questioning and silver eyes flicker towards him for but a moment. “Who?” There is some sort of conflict in the depths of Daryl’s blue eyes but it is not there for long. Whatever he was thinking of or thinking about seemed to be settled and his fingers were moving again. “Why don’t we get ya ta bed…some sleep should help ya…” Daryl commented and Gen could not help but nod as the man got up.

Feeling his hands upon her arm, she allowed the man to get her up and guide her back to the upstairs bedroom. She had no idea why or what it was that she remembered but it had hurt, it had hurt something bad. It left her exhausted, strained, and even more lost than she was to begin with. What did this entire thing mean and why would Daryl ask her if she knew someone named Jenner?


	4. Sliver of Light in the Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yippie! Next Chapter is up!
> 
> For anyone who is waiting on Bulletproof updates I will be getting one out hopefully within the next week or so. I got a bit of writter's block and too much excitement over this story lol.

Days passed in a rather quiet and pleasant buzz of noise and movement. No one mentioned the events of her first day awake and she took that for the best. She was unsure of how she would even go about answering the questions they evidently held for her. Therefore, the silent promise of keeping the questions quiet was enough for her. Over the last few days, Gen had begun to gain back strength that had been denied to her for some time. Her body felt lighter, no longer anchored to the ground with throbbing pain and aches, sores and tears. While her body was still covered in injuries, many that Morgan informed her would most likely scar, there was nothing life threatening anymore. 

It was only because of Morgan’s words that she found herself where she was now; sitting on the front steps of Eric and Aaron’s home. Life with the couple had so far been quiet and dotted with the occasional appearance of Daryl throughout the days. There was a strange feeling here, being watched by the couple and Daryl all the time. She was not stupid. She could feel their eyes on her from time to time. Eric would constantly ask how she was, if she needed or wanted anything. Aaron gave gentle smiles, a pat on the shoulder, or would randomly do something for her like fetching her tea or coffee. As kind as the two were, their main problem was their complete lack of will to allow Gen movement. Both seemed to want the woman to take it easy, relax, and rest, but Gen couldn’t. Deep in her bones, she simply felt restless. 

Being here, in Alexandria…well it felt wrong. Her mind was still a jumbled mess; even replaying repeatedly, what she had told the men on her first day awake. There was nothing in her mind that was not twisted and turned, hidden behind black curtains, and buried deep within the darkness. All she seemed to have was her instincts and a few fragmented memories. Her instincts barked at her about this place, finding it abnormal and strange. Even the people seemed to strike her as odd. She’d been sitting outside for most of the morning, in the slightly chilling air with a thick sweater and ratty jeans. The wind licked at her short white blond locks as silver eyes scanned over what they could from her perch. 

There was falseness here, everything felt….fake. It all looked normal, hell even felt a little normal, but somehow just like the running water in this place…it did not feel right. Now she knew it was not right, after speaking to the men and finding out about the creatures, the walkers. She knew that the world had ended around her, had been gone for some time. Yet, here was a place that almost felt untouched by the hand of darkness that was consuming the Earth. No shadows seemed to touch here, no death, no darkness, no pain, nothing. The sight of people, children walking to school, couples walking a dog, a bike rider, some homemakers gossiping, and some men off to work was almost nauseating. 

They were all going to die. 

That thought had been the first thing to penetrate Gen’s mind upon coming out onto the porch and it was that thought she was least surprised about. Somehow, it was a thought she felt no guilt over, no self-hatred, or disgust. It was like a fact, like knowing a tadpole would one day become a frog. It was written as plain as day that these people were going to die. Well, unless something changed that. These people seemed soft, normal people, people who must have been behind these walls for a long time and according to Eric, they had been.  
How did she know though? How did she recognize that these people were soft and needed to change to survive? How did she realize that without change these people would…well…die? Her instincts maybe the fault of these thoughts, but somehow she knew deep within her lost mind that she had to know this from experience. She had to….right?

What she could note however was the positive aspect that these people seemed to have and that was in the form of Daryl and his group. Gen had met a few people from Daryl’s group within the last few days. According to Daryl there was a good number of people that made up his little ‘family’ and she would be more than likely to met them all very soon. It had started out simply with Morgan, the man with the gentle deep voice who had had the medical knowledge to patch her up. There was quietness to the man, patience, peace, and an unimaginable amount of serenity. It was as if this man had been trapped in the darkness for a long time only to emerge from the waters clean and renewed. He was a stern man, could tell he must have been a father to someone at some point. She liked Morgan. 

She liked Maggie as well. The woman was the first to visit her after Morgan, trailed by a Korean man named Glenn. Anyone could tell that the two were a couple, tied at the hip, and by the rings upon their left hands. They were kind, sweet people that oddly oozed strength and experience. Something about their hardened, yet gentle eyes…their undying ability to care, Glenn’s horrible attempt at humor, and Maggie’s spirituality touched something inside of Gen. Her instincts told her that these two had gone through hell and back for each other. Something told her that they would do anything for one another, go to the ends of the Earth if they had to. Gen was glad to be able to thank Maggie for the clothes, only to be surprised again by the woman’s generous nature as she had brought Gen more clothes, some personal care products, and an old Bible. 

Gen didn’t think she was religious, didn’t feel like she believed in a God or higher being or what not. Seeing what she could see, feeling what she could feel, even with the lack of memories she could tell that they were beyond saving in this world. No merciful God would allow suffering of this kind, not to people like Maggie or Glenn or Morgan…or Daryl. Nevertheless, the gesture had been kind and she was grateful for it. 

Carol was another woman from Daryl’s group and the third to visit her since her wake. Now, that was a dangerous woman if Gen had ever seen one. Oddly, she had not felt on edge around her…well too much. The falseness of Carol’s manner, her gestures, her words, and her actions spoke volumes for Gen. There was a stronger woman there than what Carol was presenting, a dangerous woman with hard eyes. Yet, there was kindness in them and she had seen it when Carol gazed upon Daryl. Gen was a stranger to Carol, she could understand the woman’s lack of trust and the undertone of a threat the woman seemed to pass to her. Gen held her tongue, knowing it was not her place to point out such things as Carol’s silent threat or falseness. However, there was something between the glances they shared that spoke volumes. Somehow, Gen felt Carol knew that Gen knew. Knew she was hiding who she really was, but it also seemed that Carol knew Gen wouldn’t say anything. 

The fourth member of Daryl’s group had well…come as a complete surprise to Gen to met. Just the other day, Daryl had come to Eric and Aaron’s house with a little girl bouncing on his hip. The child could not have been anymore than six months old or so, well maybe closer to a year than that. A tuff of blond hair that seemed to be growing thicker, bright blue eyes and a babbling voice of excitement over the world around her. Gen had been so struck by the sight of a baby she had fallen silent, staring at the child nearly unbelieving. Sure, she had seen children in Alexandria, had seen a pregnant woman, and what looked like a baby or toddler, but Judith seemed so much more. Daryl’s group hadn’t stayed behind these walls, had not been here long. That meant Judith had been out there as well, a baby protected by a family stitched together by circumstance. When Daryl had given her the baby to hold, saying something about how she looked like she wanted to hold her, Gen had broken down into tears. Rattled sobs had escaped her thin form as she hugged Judith to her gently. The sobs had come as a surprise to them all and Gen could not explain them. Could not explain why she was crying or why the darkness in her soul seemed to thicken since there were no memories to explain her reaction.

Sitting on the porch, she couldn’t help her mind to wander over those last few days as her eyes scanned the clean sidewalks and green grass in front of this house. While she had only met a few members of Daryl’s family, she could too easily point out who they were. There was an air of differences to those people, a sign of who had survived and fought. Their hardship, their strength was cut into place sharp like the edges of a diamond. She had spotted a man and woman in makeshift police uniforms, a teenager with a sheriff’s hat, a strange man with a mullet, a scantily clad woman following a large red headed male, an African American woman with a sniper on her back being followed by another woman with short hair and a bandaged head. All these people stood out to her compared to the rest of the people of Alexandria. These had to be the people of Daryl’s extended family. 

They were also the only ones not shooting her strange looks. The ‘normal’ people of Alexandria, those that could see her on the porch and who she could see, they didn’t like her. She could tell by their shifty eyes and low voices, the tall tale sign of gossip over something strange. Unconsciously, Gen reached up to tug at a strand of white blond hair as silver eyes flicker to the ground in an attempt to avoid the stares and blind judgment. Was that why Eric and Aaron lived a little away from the bulk of Alexandria? She could hear a passing couple mutter something about her appearance. Something about unnatural looking, dangerous appearance, and weird. It caused the thin line of her lips to tighten and her arms to wrap slightly more around her waist. The thick bandages could still be felt beneath the fabric of her sweater. They were a reminder of the markings on her back and that sent a small shiver through her form. 

“Well, seems you’re up and moving around well.” A voice echoed nearby.

Raising her eyes, Gen was met with a bit of a shock as she locked eyes with the man in the makeshift police uniform. She felt blank, knew her face looked just as blank. Her expression calm and empty as she stared into pools of sky blue that were this man’s eyes. She liked the blue, they were nice, but somehow they were not as nice as the dark steely blue of Daryl’s eyes. Seeing as how she was not answering, wasn’t sure what she was suppose to say, the man continued. “I’m Rick.” He spoke gently offering his hand to her. 

“Um…Gen..” She spoke up, finding her voice as her hand gently reached out to take the man’s hand. Her eyes never left his, locked together, searching. Yes, she could tell he was searching her for something just as she was searching him. She remembered Aaron explaining how the leader of Daryl’s group, a man named Rick, was recently put in charge of Alexandria. There were many things going on in those pools of blue. Gen could see that this man was capable and now somehow she began to wonder if the people of this place would really die or not. 

Pulling her hand back as soon as she could, Gen pushed some of her hair from her face. Keeping her eyes locked on Rick, she could see the man held many emotions in his eyes. What  
surprised her was the lack of emotions she had been seeing in the other people of Alexandria. There was no disgust, confusion, or caution over who she was or what she looked like. There was no pity or sadness, something she had seen in some of the members of Daryl’s group. No, this man held the same emotions that Daryl’s eyes held when he looked at her, contemplation, wonder, curiosity, and concern. “How are you feeling?” He questions softly glancing down at his hands that fidgeted. Gen merely shrugs. “Sore…but better…still don’t remember anything.” Why would she be compelled to tell Rick that? 

“Well…hopefully your memories will come back.” He began gently still looking her over. “Might not want them to.” Gen said, not for the first time since waking up. The first time she had said it, Aaron and Eric looked at her with pity and concern asking her all sorts of questions. Daryl had been quiet and accepting of her answer. “Well….either way…memories or no memories….you seem like a good person.”

A good person? Those words had Gen’s brows knitting together quickly. How would Rick know if she was a good person or not? She couldn’t even tell, had no memories to tell her one way or another. “You don’t believe me.” Rick stated the fact with a small twist in the corner of his lips. He was quiet for a moment, allowing the silence to penetrate the air. It was not a bad silence, just a silence. “When you’re well enough…if you decide to stay here…come find me….we’ll figure out something for you to do…a job of sorts.” He explained. Gen felt surprised once again by this man but could do nothing but nod and watch him walk away. Eric had told her that everyone in Alexandria had a job to do. Daryl and Aaron’s job were as recruiters for this town. So, hearing Rick talk about a job for her was not the surprising part. It was the fact she had a choice of whether or not she stayed in Alexandria. 

What was she thinking….she had nowhere else to go? The fact that Rick was giving her an option was kind, but she was sort of stuck here. Even if she got her memory back, which was growing as a fear, who was to say whether she would stay or leave. Maybe she would discover that there was a family out there for her and she would leave. Maybe she would discover she was a horrible person and leave for fear of hurting these people. Maybe she would discover she had nothing and would stay anyways. Maybe she would never get her memory back…this was growing into a headache. 

Reaching up, balancing her elbows on her knees, Gen rubbed at her temples. Silver eyes flickered closed as the false noises of this ‘happy’ little town washed over her. Leaning forward, Gen allowed a heavy sigh to escape her blood red lips. There was pressure in her chest, the tightening of the darkness around her lungs. It was as if she could drown above ground, out of water like a fish. The feeling had her eyes shutting tighter, her fingers digging deeper into the flesh of her temples as she rubbed harder. At the feeling of a gentle weight on her head, the feeling of constraint seemed to lessen, fading just a bit. Silver hues flickered open quickly and she glanced back with a gentle start. 

Silver locked easily enough with dark blue and Gen felt the nervousness and the tension fade slowly from her body. “Hi Daryl…” She muttered softly as her hands came to rest together in her lap. The man’s large, rather warm hand was still resting pleasantly on the top of her head. There was a strange look in his eyes, a slight cock of his head, brows knitted gently with a firm line of his lips. Hesitantly, his fingers dug gently into her scalp, watching her winch as it aggravated the headache she was already experience. Removing his hand, Gen observed how the man seemed at a loss of what to do. After a moment, it seemed that Daryl decided to answer her as he tucked his hands under his underarms and leaned against the rail of the porch. “Hey….head hurt?” He questioned, not fully locking eyes with her. She had figured out sometime ago that Daryl rarely looked anyone in the eye for long stretches of time. 

Sparing the man her curious stares, Gen turned back around to gaze upon the falseness that was this town. “A little…” She confessed, finding it honestly hard to lie to the man. Something about his gaze, his stance, the way he acted…something about him made Gen feel comfortable. She was not fearful of Daryl judging her. Sadly, the man seemed as much of an outcast as she was…as Eric and Aaron seemed. However, that was only in the eyes of the bulk of Alexandria. In his own group, he seemed to thrive, survive, and be so much more. Okay, maybe Gen had been sitting on the porch too long. She had been out here since dawn. She had seen Daryl with some of his people before coming over to work in the garage. The man clearly was respected and looked to, a second command of sorts amongst his family. 

Actually, the man smelt like oil and grease from here. It was oddly a comforting scent. Somehow, it chased out the unnatural clean of this place. Daryl hovered behind her for a few moments longer before she felt the wood of the porch creak. The brush of fabric caught her attention, drawing her gaze as Daryl settled down onto the porch next to her. He had a red rag in his hand, rubbing and cleaning at his callous fingers in an attempt to remove the grit and grim. “Ya….remember anything?” He questioned softly, his voice never seeming higher than a simple whisper around her. It was really the only thing Daryl ever seemed to ask her about her memories or lack thereof. “Not anything important...besides when I first woke….still can’t make sense of that.” She spoke, returning the same quiet voice.

“It’s silly…I can remember…stupid things…” Silver eyes flickered around, gazing over the streets, catching the sight of some falling leaves. Winter would be settling in soon, wouldn’t it? “Whatcha remember?” Daryl spoke, causing Gen to frown gently as her gaze slipped to the wood of the porch beneath her feet. Fingers absently played with the frayed hole in her jeans, right above the left knee. “Stupid stuff…how…I like dusk better than dawn…favorite color’s green…how I miss the smell of wildflowers and the forest…how something’s missing here…” She paused to raise her left hand to her neckline, tracing a loop right above her collarbone. “Like…there’s suppose to be something there…a necklace or something important.” Shrugging she allowed her hands to fall back into playing with the fray in her clothes.

“Don’t sound like stupid stuff…” Daryl voiced, causing a smirk to form upon her lips, a gentle twitch. “Doesn’t give me a clue who I am though...what happened to me…who I was…” Her reply was met with a snort, a small hitch of breath, the strangest yet most amazing sound of a laugh she had ever heard. “Damn stupid…” He muttered as silver eyes locked on him, brow rose in confusion. “All them little facts…theys just as important as the big questions. Facts that make up who ya are.” He commented, throwing her off just a bit. “But…they aren’t going to bring my memory back…aren’t going to explain anything.” Gen commented.

“So?” Daryl responded simply.

“So?” Gen repeated.

“What’s it matter if ya get yer memory back or not…ain’t gonna change the fact yer good people.” 

“You’re friend Rick told me the same thing.”

“Rick’s a smart guy.”

“It’s bullshit…you’ve barely known me for a few days…and I don’t even know if you’re getting to know the real me or not.”

“Aaron says I can spot good people from the bad…and yer good people. Can tell even if ya can’t. This is the real you with or without yer memories, yer the same good person.” 

Gen paused at those words, a frown marring her face as she continued to gaze over Daryl in disbelief. Was it so easy for him to claim this and believe it? “But…I’m different…something’s wrong with me…” Gen confessed, knowing Daryl had heard this before on her first day awake. “People look at me strangely…they know it…they sense something’s wrong with me…”

“Fuck’em.” 

The response to her words was so…so absurd and straightforward that Gen could not help the laughter that built up in her throat and escaped her lips. Shoulders trembled slightly with the bit of laughter as she shook her head. Allowing her gaze to fall back to the town, she shook her head again as a hand rose to cover her blood red lips in an attempt to stop the little giggles. “And why…don’t you and yours look at me badly, huh?” She could not help but ask, it sounding less depressing coming out of her slightly giggling mouth. 

“Seen stranger things than you…” Daryl commented simply enough. Gen could hear the slightly higher pitch in his voice, could see from the corner of her eye the small upturn of his lips. Somehow, he seemed pleased about something and she could not put her finger on it. “Fuck, the dead are up and walking…think I’d be bothered to see a woman who looks like she walked out of a fairytale?” Daryl commented, the words catching Gen off guard once more. Turning to look at the man beside her, she noted Daryl’s sudden interest in his own thumb. White teeth gnawed at the digit with determination, those blue eyes locked far away on some object or something. He looked tense, curled in on himself a bit. Was there…was there a bit more color in his face than before? 

“Fairytale?” Gen questioned softly, tilting her head to the side as a mixture of curiosity and wonder took hold of her heart and soul. Was there less pressure in her chest than before? Daryl was quiet, fidgeted a time or two, as his blue eyes flickered back and forth. For a second they would land on her, and then they would look away. Finally, it seemed that Daryl had made up his mind and with a grumble, he stood up quickly. “Fuck…ain’t like you look…I don’t know horrible or some shit…strange ya…but…more like one of them fairies ya read about in old storybooks…..strange but…pre-…” His words cut off short. His voice was sharp, harsher than it usually was in the small outburst he seemed to display. Gen watched, as Daryl seemed to make a noise that sounded like a mixture of a grunt and a growl. “Gotta go finish fixing that damn bike.” 

With that, the man was moving back into the house without so much as a look at her, leaving Gen both confused and a bit flustered. She could feel the heat in her cheeks as she stared at the door for a long time before allowing her body to twist back to gaze over the town, Gen’s eyes widened. Seemed that Daryl wasn’t exactly the loud one around here and his outburst of harsh words had caught some unwanted attention. There were several people, whether at their own porches, walking the streets, or just plain being nosey, their eyes were all focused on Gen and the house Daryl had disappeared into. 

Suddenly, that lightness in her chest, the lack of pressure was gone. It was as if an elephant had crushed her rib cage as her lung contracted painfully and her heart began to hammer in her chest. She could not stand these people and their gaze much longer. Without much thought as to where she would go or the fact she should have just gone back inside, Gen took off down the porch with quick footsteps. Running seemed like a bad idea, so she took the option of quickly walking away from the situation. Her blood pounded in her ear, bothering her already hammering head as she walked away from Eric and Aaron’s house. She wasn’t sure where she was going to go or where she was headed in this walled off community, but she knew her feet were carrying her away from the populated areas. God, her body practically vibrated with the need to run, to get away, to flee. The same feelings that she had upon waking up in that bed, the same darkness consuming her soul, and pulling her under once more flooded her body. 

She was not sure how long or how far she wandered, but when the pain in her chest became too much she found herself stopping. The bandages were too tight, constricting, and almost painful as her chest heaved for breath. God, it was hard to breath. It burned; her lungs ached as well as the rest of her body. Without much thought, Gen instantly sat down on the ground, clutching her pounding head as she tried to get some sort of balance back in her body. Breathing deeply, Gen attempted to even out her breathing, rubbing her temples as her bare feet dug slightly into the ground. Something soft was under her feet and the sensation caused Gen’s silver eyes to flicker up and focus just a bit on her surroundings. Her eyes were locked on her foot, which trapped bales of grass against the Earth. “G-grass?” Gen commented, feeling a painful exhale of air escape her lungs similar to a halfhearted laugh. “Grass…” She spoke again as she lowered one of her hands to gently touch the blades that were still moist with the morning dew. 

Still breathing hard, Gen allowed her eyes to flicker up and around, taking in a sight that really should have stolen more of her breath. However, the sight seemed to just help her breath some. The area around her was rather secluded, surprisingly for this place, this community. Before her was the wall that surrounded this place. It was massive, a gray piece of matter in this world of green she had come to find herself in. There was a small pond just a bit to her right and the shade of several trees had this place basked in just the right amount of sunlight. It must have been a park or something that was built, but it seemed unused and oddly quiet. Glancing about, Gen did not see a path around her like the one down the street from Aaron and Eric’s. There did not even seem to be any people here and somehow it gave Gen a good amount of comfort. 

The pressure in her chest slowly receded and she could feel her ability to breathe catch up with her. She remained seated in the grass, unable to move much more than this as she took in the sight before her eyes. It was peaceful here, quiet, and lacked much of what she could only guess was giving her stress. For the first time, she actually felt like she was relaxing easier outside of the couple’s house. She had been okay on the porch, but she had still felt uncomfortable with the amount of people around and their constant stares. Resting here, it took Gen a moment for her mind to start working again and instantly she found herself thinking about what Daryl had told her.

His comment had her face feeling warm again, but it drew out a small laughter. Had Daryl been trying to tell her that she looked pretty like this? Like a fairy from a fairytale…it was silly commented, but somehow it made her feel better. Thin fingers rose to play with a strand of white blond hair as a smile remained upon her blood red lips. Fairies were pretty; her mind could easily picture the fictionally small people that were said to live among the flowers and grass. Somehow, she could picture the little people who always were drawn in such bright pastel shades of blues and pinks and greens. They always did look strange…but in a good way…they did look pretty. Giggling to herself, Gen could not help as her body protested to the sitting position. Shifting to lay back on the grass, absorbing the silence of this little area, she sighed gently. Would it hurt to think of Daryl’s words the next time she thought of her appearance? They did make her feel better. 

Exhaustion seemed to prevent her from thinking much more on the subject, getting no further than feeling a bit of joy at Daryl’s words. Everything was beginning to feel heavy, her limbs like iron, head beginning to fuzz, and eyes beginning to blur the world around her. Why was she so tired? Maybe she should have given herself more time. Morgan had warned her about pushing herself too much. Maybe she had hurried away from those judgmental eyes faster than she thought. Silver eyes fought to remain open before ultimately failing and forcing Gen’s body to accept the sleep it still so desperately needed. 

A giggle, a bright laughter echoed in her ears, loud, bright, and so heartwarming. “Ah! There! What do you think?” A bright female voice echoed as silver eyes flickered open, her head tilting to take in the source of the noise. The world was hazy, dark, and barely in focus but Gen could tell she was not where she once was. Green grass had been replaced by lush white carpet, the outdoors replaced by light grayish green walls. There was a window on one of those walls, open, allowing soft white curtains to flutter in the breeze. “This is what you spent the last few days doing in here?” A male voice echoed, his voice soft, gentle, but deeply pierced with an emotion Gen could not pin. It sounded like love, but it also sounded tired. 

“What? I wanted to get this place painted. Don’t you think she’ll….just love it.” The woman spoke with such fondness, such joy. Gen’s silver eyes attempted to find the sound, but seeing nothing more than two shadowy figures huddled near the wall opposite of the window. One was kneeling upon the ground, the other standing above. The one on the floor held a paintbrush, thin, and fine, dripping with pink paint. “It’s just a nursery…” The male voice spoke up. “The baby won’t know the difference…” 

“Don’t be such an ass…” The female spoke with a giggle. “My sister will remember it…it’s what she wants for the baby.” 

“Ya…and you always do anything for your sister.” Came an annoyed huff of air. 

“Really…? You know she has nowhere else to go…she needs me.” 

“Ya, but you’ll just be complaining about the lack of time in the lab. You’re precious experiments and stuff.” The man spoke with the sound of a smirk in his voice, but there was something hidden there. Another emotion that was rather dark and bleak in comparison.

“Don’t start this now…we’ve talked about this…it’s not like your projects are any less precious to you.”

“My experiments are going to change things one day…”

“And mine aren’t?”

“I didn’t say that…”

“But you implied it…tell me is this really about my work or the fact I won’t be your little housewife….because you know I can’t do that.” The woman spoke sharply, her voice no longer soft and  
joyful. There was a huff from the man, movement, and a shake of the head. 

“I’m sorry…your work is important honey…this…this all is just…” 

“Difficult…I know…you don’t handle change well.” 

The shadowy figure on the ground rose and gently wrapped itself up with the other figure in the room. “We’ll get through this love. I promise.” The woman’s voice echoed softly in Gen’s mind but her eyes were drawn to the wall and the pink fairy with white hair painted amongst a field of wildflowers. 

“Oh my God! I love it! ----“ A voice echoed, another woman somewhere far away spoke as the world began to turn dark, black, and consumed by the darkness once more. 

Yet, there was sliver of light…soft pink…and in the shape of a fairy from a fairytale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also always feedback is welcome and I hope you all like what I have written.


	5. Light Tainted with Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you soo soo soo very very much for your patience! It has been crazy for me lately and with being stuck with a serious case of writer's block it feels soooo good to finally come out with a new chapter. So, here it is the next chapter in Genesis! I hope you all really like this chapter, because of my long absence I have added a bit more detail then I normal would think to. So, here's a bit more of Gen's memories and an insight into who she might have been ^,^

The gentle sway of a breeze tickled white blonde locks against pale flesh, stirring the woman from the dark embrace of sleep. Grass slightly damp and sticky from dew seemed to cling to her flesh like little hands, tempting her to return to the softness of the Earth and the darkness of exhaustion. Gen’s eyes flickered open, half lid, staring at nothing but the blurry expansion of green before her eyes. Her left side was pressed into the grass, knees tucked up, arms curled beneath the slim curve of her neck. The air was chilly and the lack of sunlight seemed to bring on the understanding of a passing day. A memory of a nursery and a pink fairy danced in the forefront of her mind.  
Black lashes flutter, attempting to take away the blurriness of her vision in an attempt to right the visual world. What had awoken her? Gen could not help but wonder as she laid there, the world feeling muffled and quiet. There did not even seem to be a sound, no breeze, no wildlife, and not even the sounds of people in this God-awful place. Shifting, Gen sat up and cradled her pounding head between her hands. Whatever that dream had been, it made her head pound something fierce. Was this the result of remembering something? Had that been a memory? If it had been….and, she remembered….who was she? Was she the woman on the floor painting? The one who came in exclaiming joy over the nursery? Alternatively, was she some bystander to it all? 

Unconsciously, Gen’s left hand flittered to her stomach just above her hips. Unfocused eyes stared at the vast body of water of the small pond, her fingers danced slightly over her wrapped waist. No…she did not think the nursery was for her…well had been for her. Something did not feel right with the thought of having either had a child or been pregnant. It didn’t feel right and she was not sure why. Nevertheless, had she had someone in her life? A lover? A husband? Someone? The idea, the lingering thought left an empty feeling in her chest. A space that was quickly filling with the darkness, it was putting pressure on her heart, and gripping at her lungs. What if she left someone behind in this world? Had she left someone behind? 

“Gen!”A sharp voice snapped somewhere behind her.

The sound was harsh, sharp like a parent scolding a child. It spoke of pain, fear, worry, and the mixed emotions of panic. Unfocused, blurry eyed, silver flickered towards the expansion of darkening trees. Eyes narrowed in an attempt to make out exactly who it was that had called out to her. Shifting her weight, she made to stand. The movement made her dizzy, split her head with an awful ache, and made her stumble on her way upwards. 

“Fuck…” The voice hissed darkly. Suddenly, there were hands upon her forearms, grip tight, and firm. They seemed to steady out her form as unfocused silver eyes flickered.  
“Are you some sort of idiot?! You think you can save these people!” The voice snapped harshly as the hands upon her arms tightened. The person, who spoke, shook her body with a desperate rattle of movement. “This facility can’t take in anymore people and the last person you brought in was bit!” 

“B-but she’s quarantined…” Gen’s voice slipped out, soft against the other’s booming tone.

“She’s a threat!”

“She…wants to help…volunteered to let us…..run tests”

“You’ll get us all fucking killed! Just like you got Sarah and the baby killed.”

“I didn’t….get Sarah and the baby….”

“You did” Another harsh rattle of her body.

“I di-”

“You did...”

A shutter raced Gen’s spine at the voice and its accusations, but who was Sarah? The man’s words rooted around in her head, dug deep into her bones, and brought out some deep-rooted sense of anger. Frustration, anger, betrayal, pain, hatred, and a flutter of other emotions grasped at her heart like ropes to pull her out of the darkness as her heart hammered away in her chest. 

“I-it was your fault…” She whispered softly.

“What?” The voice questioned, the harshness, the anger, the emotions flittering out in her ear. Silver hues flickered upwards seeing, yet not seeing the shadow of the person   
before her. 

“It’s your fault….your fault Sarah’s dead….your fault the baby….”

“Gen…what are you talking about?” The voice questioned the tone, and the sound different. Somehow changing and somehow it sparked the anger in her soul as a rush of emotions hit the surface.

“You fucker! It’s your damn fault!” She snapped, shoving the body before her away, and taking stumbling steps backwards. Her head throbbed in pain forcing her eyes to close as fingers dug into white blonde locks.

“If you weren’t such a fucking immoral asshole…..if you didn’t fucking try to mess with that virus…if you didn’t fucking stab me in the back none of this would be happening!”

“It’s your fault we fought in the lab that day.” The voice was back and it stole Gen’s breath in a sharp pull. Hands attempted to touch her skin, grasp her arms again, and she struggled. 

“H-how is it my fault! Y-you knew from the beginning that I….you knew…yet….you said you were happy…”

“I’m not happy….I’ve never been happy…”

“Not my fault…” Gen felt her voice falter, fade, and soften as the feeling of defeat seeped deep into her bones. 

“It is…and you’ll pay for it one day ----….you will….”

“But….the accident….was your…”

“Gen!” Arms tightened around her body, snaked around her shoulders, and suddenly Gen found herself pressed into the warm embrace of a broad chest and strong arms.   
Her head was tucked beneath the person’s chin, hands tangled in a dirty plaid shirt. Silver eyes focused, peering blankly over the material of a leather vest. A deep shutter shook her form, forcing the arms around her to tighten even more. 

“Come on Gen, come back to me.” The voice spoke and sudden Gen felt like she could breathe again. A sharp, deep gasp of breath started the shaking of her body, and the trembling of her very soul. “D-daryl...” She spoke, voice weak and fragile, laced with confusion and panic. The body before her shifted and suddenly dark blues were focusing on her silver ones filtered behind dark brown locks. 

Tension suddenly seemed to release in Daryl’s form, something Gen had failed to notice at first. A sigh left his lips as a single arm shifted, and suddenly a warm hand was placed gentle against her cheek. “Ya alright?” He questioned, frowning when she did not answer him right away. Maybe he could sense her confusion or maybe he could sense her panic. “Ya…weren’t at the house….Aaron and Eric didn’t much know where ya went….tracked ya….”  
“I….ran off….didn’t like…the people looking at me…” Finding her voice, Gen muttered softly, but she was close enough to Daryl that it did not matter. They always spoke   
quietly to one another anyways. It just seemed so natural to do so. 

“Head hurt….fell asleep…..what…happened?” She questioned untangling her hands from their spot on Daryl’s chest to rub at her temples. The dull ache was slowly slipping away.

Another sigh escaped Daryl’s lips, hardening into a line right after words as a fierce look of determination set in. “Don’t ya leave like that again. If yer wantin to get out or get away yer gonna go with someone. Aaron, Eric, hell I’ll make sure Rick and Maggie are around…or…yea know yea could have come and gotten me.” Daryl muttered softly and Gen could not help but feel a mixture of surprise and gratefulness. 

Hesitantly, the man untangled his arms from her form and took a small step back. Daryl always seemed to someone full of surprises, such as in moments like this when his confidence shines through before stumbling back into a slight awkward shyness. A little coloring seemed to come to Daryl’s face and ears as he rubbed the side of his neck, seemingly lost in thought. “Least…yer okay...” He muttered, anger still there, but Gen wondered if it was more worry then true anger. “I didn’t mean to worry anyone….kinda didn’t expect ta pass out like that.” Gen muttered as her arms wrapped gently around waist, fingers rubbing slight circles at the flesh of her stomach.

“Come on, it’s late….must be starvin…been gone all afternoon.” Daryl muttered causing Gen to blink in confusion. Had it…really been that long? Silver hues flickered upwards towards the darkening skies; it had only been maybe noon when she had come out this way. “Ya comin?” Daryl’s voice fluttered towards her, causing her to refocus on the man who was now several feet away from her. “Um…yeah…yeah.” 

The first step forward and Gen hears a thudding, another step and another thud. It was heavy sounding, echoed against something metallic, and when Gen’s eyes landed on Daryl, she could tell the man was looking past her. Silver eyes followed his line of sight to the walls of Alexandria, watching a patch of metal vibrate slightly with the thudding of a body hurling itself against the surface. “Musta heard yer yellin…” Daryl commented before turning away, ready it seemed to return to the house. He seemed unfazed by the wall, seemed to trust it to hold for now. Gen wasn’t sure if she could hold that same trust.

Silver eyes stared at the vibrating metal for a long moment, finding the creature’s movements odd and a bit…erratic compared to what she had seen on the road. Had her   
yelling really rattled it up so badly? Wait, she had been yelling? “I was yellin?” She questioned turning quickly to follow Daryl. The man shrugged softly and remained quiet for a long time, their steps lining up as they walked down the now empty streets of Alexandria. Gazing about, Gen knew she would have been lost if she had returned on her own earlier. This place was much bigger then she had originally thought it to be.

“Were….mutterin something about….not yer fault…and I’s some sort of immoral asshole?” Daryl questioned turning his blues towards her. Gen watched him silently for a moment, blinking, confused, before a gentle blush formed upon her cheeks. “W-wasn’t talkin about you…” She muttered, noticing how Daryl’s expression did not change nor did it seem like he thought she had been talking about him. There was worry in those deep blues, confusion, and concern as if whatever he had seen was somehow familiar and understandable. “A memory then?” He questioned turning his attention forward once more. “I-I think…maybe….I guess I was…arguing with a shadow…”

“A shadow?” Daryl questioned.

“Couldn’t make out his face…just his voice…he was…angry…but…I felt angrier than he did…like he did not deserve to be angry at me…I don’t know.”   
A slight brush of an arm against her own caught her attention. Silver eyes flickered towards the man she walked side by side with, a small smile coming to her blood stained lips. “Whatever…” She muttered after a moment, her arms still loosely wrapped about her body as their conversation died down into silence.

They walked together for several long moments, silver eyes flickering around to take in the place of a quiet and dead Alexandria. It was rather nice here at night, somehow seeing this place abandoned felt….right…it was a bit morbid and Gen was not sure why she thought that way. Either way, she noticed that Aaron and Eric’s house was nowhere in sight and she was beginning to wonder exactly where they were going. “Daryl?” She questioned as they stepped up to two rather large houses that seemed to be situated on the far side of Alexandria, seemingly the opposite direction of the gates considering she could not see it anywhere nearby. 

The echoing sounds of laughter fluttered out from one of the houses, while the other was dark. “Daryl?” She questioned again, watching the man move towards the porch with the lights on. There seemed to be so much joy coming from that lit up place, sounded fun and warm, but somehow Gen felt nervous. The darkness that compressed her chest and body, her very soul seemed to warren her away from such an environment as if she would stain that happiness. “Can’t stay locked up all the damn time…now get yer ass up here.” Daryl spoke, voice soft with the quiver of a smile beginning to twitch at his lip.

Glancing about, Gen sighed softly before following Daryl towards the house. It wasn’t as if she had anywhere else to be…wasn’t as if someone was waiting for her at home or…wasn’t as if she really had a home anyways. Stepping beyond the front door of the house, Gen was greeted with the sounds of laughter and conversation, the scent of food and booze. There was an oppressive amount of positive energy that made her feel like shrinking back, hiding away, disappearing before she ruined it all. Why would she ruin it though?

A huff of air sounded next to her and suddenly her arm was grasped as Daryl practically dragged her through the house and towards the kitchen. His hold was gentle, but firm as he shook his head and muttered something about not having the patience for this. Suddenly, she was standing in the doorway to a rather impressively sized kitchen and dining room. The table was crowded with chairs, some from the table set, and others simply collected from around the house to accommodate everyone. 

Somehow, it seemed, her presences had brought a lull to the excitement and fun that had just been occurring. Maybe she should really leave…it suddenly did not feel welcoming and she took a step back in worry. However, her back merely pressed into Daryl’s broad chest, the man refusing to move an inch. “Ah…Gen…” Rick’s voice caught her attention and seemed to break the silence that was slowly becoming all consuming. The chatter started up again, though softer, clearly an indication that the group was actually listening closely. 

The officer rose from his chair with a smile, hands settling on his hips as he wandered over towards her and Daryl. “See Daryl found ya…” He commented patting the other   
man on the shoulder in a firm clasp, a sign of a deep seeded connection, a friendship it seemed. “How are you feeling?” Rick questioned, his light blue eyes scanning her once again just as they had earlier in the day. He was searching for something and she was not sure what that was, or if she wanted him to find it. 

“Yea must be hungry.” Maggie’s voice intercepted instantly, the heavily accented woman was quick to loop her arm with Gen’s and pull her away. “O-oh..I…I’m fine..” Gen stumbled over her words and taking note of Maggie’s raised brow and clear disbelief over her statement. “Come get a bite. Carol’s cooking is awful good.” The brunette commented before disposing of Gen in a rather randomly empty seat between Glenn and the large red headed man she had noticed earlier. Feeling instantly uncomfortable, Gen found herself instantly seeking out Daryl. The man stood in the kitchen doorway with Rick, their voices hush and low as they exchanged words. Yet, even as Daryl focused on his conversation with Rick, his dark blues flickered to her and a small frown turned his lips. Seemed he was as uncomfortable as she was and she wondered why.   
“Here yea go” Maggie smiled brightly as she set a plate down in front of her before returning to her seat on the other side of Glenn. Feeling like a deer caught in the headlights, Gen stared at Maggie for a long time before her eyes flickered to Glenn and then to her plate. 

“Just canned corn, powdered biscuits, and that shit just add water dried potatoes but Carol makes it good.” The red head next to her spoke, his eyes seemingly trained on her with what appeared to be a thoughtful expression. Gen stared back for but a moment before her eyes flickered to Carol who sat at the other end of the table near the other officer she had seen before. Her expression was firm, her eyes sharp on Gen, and the white haired woman could not help but feel as if she was being judged. “Y-yea…I..I’m just not…very hungry.” Gen muttered softly, eyes flickering down to her lap to avoid attention.

“Damn can’t ya all just leave her the fuck alone?” Daryl’s voice seemed to literally boom next to her, causing her to jump. The archer was shoving at Glenn’s shoulder, making the Korean man mutter out a ‘Hey’ before moving to a seat on the other side of Maggie. Daryl dropped down in the now empty chair, his appearance gruff and rattled. “Can’t give her just a little peace…” He muttered as his dark eyes flickered towards her, locking for a moment before shifting to gaze at her plate, and then back .Taking the hint, Gen nodded as she slowly picked up her fork. 

“Sorry…” A woman across from her spoke up, catching Gen’s attention. She was the one with the bandage around her head. “We’re just surprised by you….after everything Daryl told us about you…we’re surprised you’re up and walking around so well.” 

“Can you really not remember what happened to you?” The woman with the sniper from earlier asked. “Not a thing?” Gen bit her lip and shrugged. “N-not particularly…”   
“You woke up in a bed…were you in a coma or something? Like dad?” The boy with the Sheriff’s hat questioned as he balanced a squirmy Judith on his lap. “Wonder how long you were out then?” Glenn spoke up next. “Couldn’t have been out for long or you would have surely have died from lack of intake and muscle degeneration.” The man with the mullet explained. “D-don’t know…” Gen muttered ignoring their gazes as she stared at her plate.

Therefore, that’s what it was…these people were curious about her. She could understand that, they wanted to know who she was, where she came from, and if she was safe to be around. Was she safe to be around? “She don’t remember don’t force it.” Daryl commented, leaning back in his chair and playing with some sort of rock he must have been carrying around with him. Looked a bit like an arrowhead from Gen’s point of view. 

“Rick,” Carol spoke up. “You should ask her.” 

“She doesn’t remember anything Carol…she won’t be able to answer.” Rick replied, catching Gen’s attention. “A-ask me what?” 

“Still worth a shot…we’ve got to figure out how trustworthy she is…even if she can’t remember anything she could be a danger to us.” And like that, the pseudo-happy atmosphere was shot and Gen could not help but shoot Daryl a look. Was this the reason he brought her here? Some sort of interrogation? Some sort of meeting to determine if she was a threat? What if she was? What would they do to her? Would they kick her out of this place? 

A hand clasped around her heart and squeezed as the darkness that had once been at bay returned. Her breaths came out in small, short, yet soft huffs as her hands moved to her lap to play with the hem of her shirt. What if she answered these questions wrong? What if…what if…what if…

“I don’t think it will do any good.” Rick spoke and suddenly Gen could feel his eyes upon her, she could feel all of their eyes upon her. “Gen…?” Rick spoke softly, gently, and calm. “Rick..this ain’t a good idea.” Daryl bit out, sounding agitated, but why? “I know…but…Gen can I ask you three questions….? It’s alright if you can’t answer them.” Rick spoke and it reminded her of how someone would talk to a child. 

“S-sure…” Gen muttered after a brief pause. What could three questions do? What could it truly hurt? Could it hurt? A long, penetrating silence seemed to worsen the darkness in Gen’s body. Her vision was beginning to blur as spots danced about and she had to wonder if this was a reaction to the darkness or the anxiety that was eating her away. 

“How many Walkers have you killed?” 

What? What sort of question was that? Silver eyes flickered to Rick, locking with the man’s soft blue eyes hardened with determination and seriousness. 

“I…don’t know…”

“How many people have you killed?” 

How many people? How many people?! It sounded ridiculous, but she knew it wasn’t. How many people had she murdered, killed, taken care of. None…right? Or had she?

“I don’t….” Gen paused, her vision blurring as a thought flashed through her mind. Something sparked, snapped like a broken twig, and suddenly it was as if an old movie was playing in her head. It was the tiniest snippet of film, short, but enough for an answer.  
“Gen?” Rick questioned, her silence must have been taking too long.

“One…”

“Why?” The silence seemed to be as stifling and as shocking as Gen actually answering the question. Silver hues rose to lock on Rick, staring the man in the eye, keeping her   
whole focus on him. Her vision was beginning to blur and her eyes were beginning to burn. A single tear slipped down her cheek, following the contort of her trembling features, followed shortly by another….and another. Her voice was barely a whisper when she replied.

“The baby could never have survived that bite…”


	6. Static in the Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yippie! New Chapter! 
> 
> Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Her words had brought about a world of chaos, of voices, confusion, and mixed emotions. There had been the initial response of silence, her words impregnating the air around the once bright environment of the dining room. A small handful of gasps, taken in surprise and simple shock were the only echo of reaction. Then, it started out small, moving up and out like a harsh wave crashing against a distant shore. It was fast and sharp like a knife through a Walker’s skull. Voices began to echo, ranging with mixed emotion and questions…so many questions. Suddenly, it was like static in her ears. Everything blended into a chaotic harmony, a melody that threatened to consume her. 

Silver took in the expressions on each person’s face, some sorrowful or concerned, others a tad fearful, others curious. There was anger in a face or two; maybe the idea of a child being killed outweighed the bitter truth of a bite wound. Questions were hurled faster than lightening, impossible for her to grasp in her hands let alone answer. What happened? What baby? How did they get bit? Why did she put it down? Questions upon questions and two sets of blue eyes focused on her with shock, but deeply seeded understanding. Then there were the soft grey eyes focused upon her and a look of understanding and….respect?

“Enough.” Carol’s voice bellowed out in a pitch just short of a raised voice. It seemed her voice cut through the chaos like a knife through warm butter. There was something about the woman’s eyes, something recognizable. Her gaze no longer seemed so harsh, so judging, as cautious as it was before. “You said the baby was bit?” Carol questioned, her voice turning soft…almost motherly. Gen found herself numb by the overwhelming static that buzzed in the air, barely giving the grey haired woman a nod. “You did it to end its suffering….” It was not a question, but a statement. “Stopped it from turning….you didn’t kill anyone else?” 

“No…someone else put Sarah down…” Came the whispered response, barely an exhale of air from her lungs. Spots were still dancing in the corners of her vision and her body was becoming cold. The buzzing in her ears was growing louder as darkness stitched holes into her heart and lungs. Breathing was shallow, but forceful and small. It felt like being plunged into ice water and left to freeze to death. “Who’s Sarah?” Its Rick’s voice next, a simple question in that gentle voice of his and all she can do is shake her head. 

This place is crushing, too many bodies, too many walls, too much…too much. There is a soft touch to her shoulder, the dance of fingers to the back of her neck. They squeeze gently, moving in small circles as a body leans close. “Breathe…ya gotta breathe…” Daryl’s voice is in her ear and it’s as if a taunt string has been cut. In a second, she’s on her feet, the chair forced back with the momentum of her movements. 

Run.

Run.

Run.

She has to run…it is like a mantra in her head, in her heart, in her soul. She has to run…and that’s what she does. Without thinking, Gen moves from the table, through the rooms of the house, and is suddenly outside on the porch. She can hear yelling behind her, someone snapping…no more than one person snapping, but she can’t think about it as she moves to the steps of the porch. Before she can make it to the last step, there’s a hand upon her upper arm.

“Gen, hey stop.” 

It’s Maggie, her deep accented voice cutting through the fog in her mind and breaking the mantra like glass. Slumping back against the pillar of the porch, wide silver eyes lock with the brunette’s. The yelling in the house seems to have quieted, though voices could still be heard muffling through the walls. It reminded her of the static of an old radio, breaking between coherent speech and blank noise. “M-Maggie?” Gen can’t help but question as the slightly taller woman holds onto her upper arms. “ It’s okay….it’s okay…yea ain’t gotta run away like that…they’re just riled up is all…they’ll calm.”

“I…I killed…” 

“Ain’t nothing we haven’t done ourselves…don’t yea go feelin’ guilty…musta been one hell of a tough decision.” Maggie mutters, her hands began to move the length of Gen’s arms to clasp her trembling hands. “I-I don’t even know….Don’t know what happened. Why I did it? Who was it? Who’s was it? I don’t know who the hell Sarah is but the name feels important…I…I don’t.” A chocked sob escapes her blood stained lips, vision blurring with unshed tears once more.

“Shhh…shhh hey now…hey…It’s alright. No one expects yea to remember everything all at once…let it come ta yea slowly.” Maggie’s fingers are tight around her own, a grounding feeling, and somehow it feels familiar. “Even if yea never remember, it’s gonna be okay. Everyone was just curious bout yea since yer new and well….Daryl seems ta have taken a shine ta yea.” Gen’s brows knitted at Maggie’s words, confusion etching itself into her features, but she didn’t speak. Sure, Daryl had been helping her out, but that was because he found her. He was a good man; of course, he’d help someone…check on someone he saved. Gen’s case…well was a bit…unnatural was all.

“Maggie?” Gen questioned softly, her voice wispy. “You’re someone’s sister, aren’t you?” 

A sad look came to the brunette’s features, sad and distant, but somehow full of love. “I was.” She whispered, the emotions clear beneath her controlled voice. “How’d yea guess?” She forced out with a half laugh, her head tilting in confusion at Gen’s words. Unable to help herself, Gen allowed her grip to tighten on Maggie’s fingers, silver eyes drawn to the intertwined digits. “Feels familiar…”

“What? Holding hands?” There’s a half chuckle in Maggie’s voice.

“Maybe…it’s only a feeling…siblings get…but it feels familiar…” 

“Maybe yea had a sister? Or a brother?”

“Maybe…” Gen muttered before her fingers slipped from Maggie’s grasp and moved to wipe at tear stained eyes. She felt calmer; the slight topic change seemed to be enough for the moment to loosen the hold the darkness had on her. Silver eyes flickered to the door, half expecting to see Daryl coming towards her once more…like by the pond.

“Daryl got kinda pissed when he saw yea gettin’ upset.” Maggie spoke, startling Gen slightly. Could this woman read minds? Gen couldn’t help but narrow her eyes in suspicion, a move that earned her another laugh from Maggie. “Oh please, you’ve kept him in your sight since you walked in the door.”

“H-he’s familiar.” Gen muttered, feeling as if she was making some sort of excuse to some un-proclaimed accusation. “He’s been nice to me…he’s helped me…” He saved her, him and Aaron, they were both like anchors in this deep vast ocean. Eric was too; all three of them had done so much for her…so much she was not sure where to even begin her repayment. However, money and such things as repayment for a deed probably had a new set of rules in this world. 

The creaking of the front door caught both of their attentions, dual eyes flickering and taking in the image of Daryl. He had a scrawl upon his face, lips pressed in a hard line, brows knitted, and eyes vigilant and sharp. They seemed to lock with Gen’s in seconds and then his features seemed to soften slightly. “Thanks Mags…” Daryl muttered as he walked towards them, his eyes momentarily flickering to the taller woman. “Told you I’d get her.” Maggie commented with a smirk. “How’s it…in there?” The brunette questioned, pointing a finger in the direction of the door. Gen felt her teeth sink into her bottom lip with worry, wondering what sort of actions were passing in that room now that some small part of her was out there. 

Did they understand what she had done? Did they even believe her? Would they begin to stare at her with the same eyes as the rest of the people here in this giant cage? It was all becoming too much again, the pressure pushing down on her form like a weight on her back. Wrapping her arms about her waist, her fingers rubbed at the wrap just beneath her shirt. She could almost feel the sting of needles in her spine again. “Got excited is all.” Daryl muttered. “Fuck, they’ve done and seen worse then givin’ mercy to a kid…” His words are comforting, but his voice a bit rough. Had he been the one to snap first when she ran out the door? “I’d understand if they want to throw me out.” Gen muttered, voice soft and low, but just there enough to catch their attention.

“No one’s gonna-”

“Like hell they’re gonna kick ya out! Just too damn nosy for their own good.”

Daryl is quick to cut off Maggie’s words, his expression strong and eyes steel burrowing into her very soul. “B-but...what if I’m something bad?” Gen whispered softly, watching the small flicker of emotion pass through Daryl’s deep blues. “You’re not somethin’ bad…yer good people…told ya that..” Daryl muttered back, his voice dropping and suddenly as quiet as her’s. It was like how he always talked to her. “But what if I’m not…what if I don’t want to remember….nothing I’ve remembered so far has been any good.” 

“Gen, you’re not a bad person and you can’t stress.” Maggie stated gently. “If you remember you remember…if not…it’s not going to change anyone’s opinion of you.”   
“And what are people’s opinions of me?” Gen spoke, feeling the darkness in her curl and lurch. “I’m strange? I look weird. I’m not normal?”   
“That yer good people.” Daryl is muttering again and Gen can’t help the tears that begin to sting her eyes again. “How can you even be sure? I killed a baby.” 

“Because it was bit.” Maggie is stressing, a frown marring her features. “That’s what you said.”

Bringing her hands to her face, Gen scrubbed harshly at her eyes as a small hiccup escaped her blood red lips. “I don’t wanna remember…” Gen spoke shakily before the feeling of something warm wrapped about her shoulders. Once again, she found herself pressed close to a broad chest and encircled in strong arms. Daryl was a bit tense this time around, maybe because Maggie was there? However, he was warm and calm and somehow he eased the darkness back. There was still buzzing in her ears, flickers of memories and thoughts.

“A bad person…wouldn’t take that memory so hard.” Daryl spoke simply, a simple answer to what seemed like a complex problem. Gen could feel so much from that memory and somehow Daryl was right. A good person would feel, a bad person would not. “Whither you get yer memory back or not don’t matter…so don’t stress over it…ain’t gonna leave ya behind.” 

“No one will.” Maggie added with a small smile upon her face and Gen could not help but wonder how these people could retain so much humanity yet be so strong for this world. Sighing heavily, Gen felt exhaustion dig deep at her bones as she slumped against Daryl’s form. “I’m gonna…go check on Glenn.” Maggie spoke, her footsteps echoing away from them as Daryl continued to hold her on the porch. 

“Let’s get you back so you can get some sleep…Aaron and Eric were worried bout yea too.” Daryl speaks softly before gently ushering Gen down the porch steps and   
out into the dark world of Alexandria. “I’m sorry…” Gen can’t help but apologize, compelled to erase whatever taint she might have spread, whatever darkness might have slipped out of her in that house. Daryl did not acknowledge her at first, not until they were in sight of Aaron and Eric’s home. “Why don’t you come with me tomorrow,” Daryl claims gently. 

“Where?”

“Outside…ta check the snares I set up.” Gen can’t help but stop in her tracks, silver eyes flickering to stare at the man beside her.

“Outside the walls?” 

“Yea…seems like ya could use a break from this place.”

“What about…those…things?”

“I ain’t lettin’ ya out alone….sides…gotta learn to take them down too.” 

That was true, she did need to learn, knew she needed to learn. Yet, besides that little fact, somehow the promise of going beyond the walls and leaving this cage was comforting. It sounded freeing. A smile began to form upon her lips as Daryl shoved her body slightly forward, ushering her towards the lit house awaiting them.   
“Alright.” She agreed just as they reached the steps of the front porch, the door swinging open urgently to reveal a relieved Eric. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silver eyes are staring silently into the dimly lit space of the house’s garage. The door is swung wide open and she can hear Eric moving about in the kitchen preparing a morning meal. The garage door is also open, but it is still dark with the sun barely beginning to bleed the sky a soft grey color. A warm mug of coffee is clasped tightly between her pale and shaky palms. There is a chill in the air, a sign of the changing seasons. It’ll only get colder; Gen can feel it deep in her bones. Winter would be upon them eventually. She can’t help but wonder how she survived winter in this world the first time around. Sadly, she is once more greeted with the blankness of her mind, the blackness of empty space, and the hallow static of lost memories.

It seemed that some people clung to the old ways still, sleeping late into the morning and undisturbed by the sounds in the night. Turns out Aaron and Eric were use to getting up at dawn, if not a bit before. It made sense; both of them had once been recruiters for this God-awful prison. She had quickly learned from Eric that due to his injuries, Daryl had taken up his spot with Aaron. Seemed it was something Aaron fully supported, no longer desiring to risk Eric’s life out beyond the wall. Eric’s ‘job’ now involved healing from his injuries and helping with supplies, making sure things were stocked and inventoried. Sounded rather boring in Gen’s book, if she was to be honest. 

Sleep was something Gen was finding to be a bit difficult, but the cause had nothing to do with her injuries. Sure, her injuries were healing just fine. Everything seemed to be holding together well, there was no swelling, and no infection. Eric had helped her change some of her bandages last night, explaining how good her injuries were looking, how good they were healing. She could still feel everything though, especially the markings along her spine. She could remember the pain of those injuries all too well and sometimes they felt fresh and new. Nevertheless, it was not her injuries that kept her awake at night…it was the noise. 

Static in her ears, a buzzing of sounds, of voices, of moments, of…something and none of it was clear. It was as if her mind was trying to play a movie on an old tube television with busted antae. Nothing was coming in clear, but the noise was still there. Was it her mind trying to remember something? Alternatively, was it trying to stop her from remembering? “Can’t stress.” She muttered softly as she moved to take a long sip of her coffee. That’s what Maggie and Daryl had said and that was all she had to hold onto. If she couldn’t believe in them….then what did she have? What could she believe in? 

That’s why it was so easy for her to get up when she heard Eric and Aaron rouse a little before dawn. Eric had been surprised, but he accepted it either way. Aaron knew she would be napping by noon like she had since waking up. Morgan said the exhaustion was fairly common with her extent of injuries, so sleep was something she needed to take whenever it hit. Moreover, there was a fair bit of emotion playing out in her heart today. Daryl told her he’d be taking her beyond the wall, out of Alexandria. A chance to be beyond these caging walls and out in the open, and while she was not exactly excited for the prospects of running into one of those creatures she was grateful for the chance at freedom. 

One of those creatures, the Walkers, they made her hum in thought wondering if she had been awake when the world had collapsed. She must have been, but there was still something about those things she found…well interesting. Fear was still there, tainting every thought or idea she had on those creatures, but beneath that was genuine curiosity. How did they come about? How did this all start? She could remember what she said on the first day awake, her knowledge of these creatures accurate and true. If she was awake before the world collapsed…had she been a part of some group that was studying the Walkers? On the other hand…was it possible to be a part of some sort of group that started it all…..accidentally or not? 

No…maybe not that…there was nothing like guilt or anguish she would expect to have if she had been part of the cause to this new world. Maybe she studied them? Shaking her head, Gen sighed heavily at the burden of her empty mind. Silver eyes flickered over the ratty, but decently built motorcycle in the garage. A smile flittered upon her lips as she remembered Aaron telling her how Daryl had built it by hand in order to go on recruiting trips. Somehow, it suited the man in leather and it made Gen feel a bit at ease. 

Flickering her gaze about, Gen listened to the sounds of Eric and Aaron in the house. They were exchanging morning greetings, talking about the food Eric was making, and commenting on her location on the steps to the garage. She only half listened, uncaring really, and unwilling to interrupt their morning routine. They were so good for each other, Aaron and Eric, and Gen could not help but smile at the thought of them still being together through all of this and more.   
Shaking her head lightly at their soft and loving voices, Gen scanned the garage once more in an absent-minded manner until something in the corner caught her gaze. Pausing, silver eyes narrowed on the tool in the corner, pressed between a few boxes, half hidden behind the clutter. Shifting, Gen set her mug upon the step of the stairs behind her before moving to stand. Bare feet patted across the length of the garage to the corner near the wall and paused. Gently, she pushed aside a ratted cardboard box to reveal more of the red object she had spotted from across the room. Leaning heavily against the concrete wall, blade oddly pointed upwards, was an ax. The thing looked a bit battered and a bit old. The wood dark, but sleek with some sort of protective coating and the blade itself was a deep red, looked   
sharp with some sort of company logo just along the rim. 

There was nothing particularly special about the object before her eyes, but somehow Gen felt a calling to the item. Tilting her head to the side, Gen allowed her mind to wonder and contemplate the strange feelings stirring deep within her bones. The darkness seemed to lull for the moment, giving her peace of mind and soul. Tentatively, she reached for the item and allowed her hand to clasp the darkened wood. It was as heavy as she thought, forcing her to grasp it with both hands as she pulled the ax from its hiding spot. The weight pulled on her limps, but it was surprisingly comfortable and oddly familiar. 

Fingers curled around the wood in a sure manner, as if holding the object was as well versed as holding a pen to paper. Staring down at the curved blade, red but untainted by the filth of this new word, Gen felt as if something fractured within her body. Clear as the sound of splintering bone in her ear, the darkness returned vigorously, assaulting her mind and soul with vivid yet unclear images. The scent of iron and copper tainted the air so strongly she swore she could taste it. The thick, sickening wet thudding of cracking bones ringing desperately in her ears, demanding to be noticed. Even her pale flesh felt the phantom moisture of grey matter, flesh, and blood. It made her feel tainted, disgusting, yet…alive as if her actions meant something…change.

“You can’t be thinking of going out there…are you?” A voice, soft and scared echoed against her ear. 

“The men can handle it just fine without you…we need you here…you’ve got to keep working. Without the CDC, you’re the only shot we got in this place to figure this shit out before it gets worse.” Another voice, just as soft but deeper like a rich bass melody in an old rock song, spoke. 

“I don’t think it’s going to get better…The generators will fail soon…my work…it’s important, but so are human lives. You want me to just turn my back on them? Let them die out there?” Gen whispered softly in the coldness of the dark room. 

“The guys have it just fine…plus we can’t possible think of taking in more survivors…the facility isn’t that big. If the generators fail…fuck…---- we won’t be able to conduct any research”. The deep melody voice continued. “We’ll lose all this work, all of the CDC’s data and our own…you won’t be able to figure out a cure.”  
“What if there is no cure, huh?” Gen snapped sharply, her fingers clutching to the handle of the ax until her knuckles bled white. “I can conduct research the old fashion way if I have to…find fuel for the smaller generators or something but those men aren’t fit to be fighting that horde…helping those people…they’re too old…we need people…it’s the only way we’ll survive any of this…fuck the research.”

“What do you mean fuck the research? Huh, ----? You’re focus should be on figuring this damn virus out and making a cure.” A male voice echoed harshly, angry in her ears.

“Well…maybe I would have had more time if someone hadn’t jacked my samples for their own selfish game.” Gen felt her voice rise in anger at her male counterpart. 

“Oh please, don’t you dare blame this on me. You’re responsibility is to finish your work or let me and my team work on it.” He argued darkly, his voice dripping with venom.

“Ha…your team? What could your team possible know about viral genomics and evolutionary tendencies?” 

“It could open a door to a cure and you know it.”

“I already have Marcus working on the biochemical properties of the virus and you know that. I don’t need your team. You aren’t equipped nor qualified to mess with   
that sort of thing” 

“Care to explain to me why that is?”

A huff of dry laughter escaped Gen’s blood red lips. “The man who stole my samples to conduct unregistered experiments is asking for my trust to unlock the properties of a global pandemic infection? Don’t take me for an idiot….it’s unbecoming of you.” 

“If you don’t want me working on it then stay here…leave the damn heroics to someone else.” 

“My research maybe my responsibility but…I’m in charge of this facility, my responsibilities include the people who come here for safe haven…I won’t stand around to let others die for me.” 

“You won’t be useful if you go and get yourself killed.” The man grumbled darkly.

Silver eyes flickered upwards and over a slim right shoulder catching the shadows of three sets of eyes. Bright worried green, dripping with fear and anxiety, stubborn and hardened browns full of determination and loyalty, and lastly steely cold hazel with a look of morbid disgust and horror. Those hazel eyes made her sick to her stomach as the shadows flickered in the field of her vision. 

“Gen?”

Just like that, the spell was broken and the dark hold on her soul gone. It seemed to silence the static. Silver eyes blinked rapidly for but a moment before focusing on dark squinted blue eyes, narrowed in silent concern. “Oh, Daryl.” Gen muttered, finally seeming to realize where she was. “W-when did you get here?” She questioned suddenly forcing an awkward smile as her grip loosened on the ax in her hands.

“Just a moment ago…you okay? Ya was mutterin’ to yourself…’membered something?” Daryl questioned with a slightly raised brow. Suddenly, it was as if Gen’s mind had gone blank once more. Nothing felt heavy or dark, no static in her ears, but she couldn’t remember what had just occurred within her own mind. Surely, she had heard voices, but what had they said to her? Frowning softly, Gen glanced down at the ax with knitted brows as if it would hold the answers to all her unspoken questions. 

“Just…was thinking…that this might make a good weapon…heavy, but quiet.” Was the answer Gen seemed to find as she looked back towards the archer. Daryl looked unconvinced that that was all there was to the matter of the ax in hand, but he did not push it. Maybe he could see that she could not remember? Maybe he didn’t want to force anything, allowing her to move at a pace she set alone.

“Ain’t it a bit heavy for you?” He questioned instead, a slight curve of a smirk pulling his lips back. Just like that, the confusion and concern was calmed in her mind as a small huff of a laugh escaped her lips. “It’s not that heavy. I can handle it. I’m not weak you know.” Gen stated, going for confidence and strength as she shifted the heavy object up. Heaving it onto her left shoulder, she found her body protesting the extra weight as it threw off her center of balance. Maybe it was her weakened state. Nevertheless, the fact she could not hold onto the item well bothered her. 

“S-see nothing.” Gen forced out as she held on, feeling the weapon shift in her grip and nearly sending her tumbling to the ground. A quick snort of a laugh and firm hands came to her rescue before the ax slipped fully from her grasp. Daryl had the ax by the handle, removing it from her grip. His other arm was wrapped tightly about her hips to keep her from falling over like a dandelion in the breeze. “Think that’s too heavy a weapon for you. Gotta start out simple. Ya ain’t full healed yet either, can’t exert yourself.” 

Setting the ax down upon the ground, Daryl was quick to replace the weapon with something simpler. It was a decent sized knife in a thin leather holster. “A knife? “Gen questioned watching as Daryl half shrugged at her, the slight smirk still fully in place. “Gotta learn the basics…I’ll teach ya how to you it…get Rick ta help me teach ya to shoot too.”

“But…guns are loud…” Gen could not help but slightly protest as Daryl nodded. “True, but it doesn’t hurt to know how to…Walkers ain’t the only threat out there.” Pausing, Gen frowned as her fingers tightened over the leather of the knife’s holster. “People are too.” Came the near sad whisper, an echo of understanding though Gen was unsure of what she exactly understood. “Yea, well..” Daryl spoke as he took a slight step back. “Today we’re just gonna go check the snares…we’ll get started on training ya up tomorrow.”

“I could use some time beyond these walls…” Gen muttered with a smile as she moved to follow Daryl from the garage. The darkness broken for the moment, the static quiet, as a small bud of light took hold of her heart at the prospects of freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew...I know I know another kind of angsty chapter. I am thinking of making the next chapter more light hearted in order to explore Daryl and Gen's interactions with one another. Hopefully, I can plant the seed for a blooming romance, though it will still be a slow build. 
> 
> Thank you again for your time and as always please feel free to comment or leave me feedback! 
> 
> ^,^


	7. Hope Laced Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!
> 
> I am so so sorry this took so long to come out, but to make up for the time this chapter is pretty long and...well I think it has quite a bit to reveal.
> 
> So as always thank you for being patient with me and for reading.
> 
> Comments and questions are always welcomed.

A soft melody, one lost in time of this new world, echoed with all the fairness of chimes in the morning breeze. It was gentle, it was calm, and though seemingly forgotten, readily familiar and remembered. The undertones, the lyrics, and the music played like a record in her head just as familiar as the movements of her hands. 

A curl of a smile on blood red lips accompanied the gentle humming that echoed in the dim kitchen. The sun was not quite up yet and Gen had found sleep to be fleeting, harder to catch than a white hare. She could not help herself; for once, the darkness wasn’t what had kept her up. It wasn’t the pressures of the forgotten and unknown, the worry and anxiety of a mind she knew nothing about. For once, it was not the darkness that laid in wait to rip her soul from her body in this cruel world. 

No, today she was excited. Her heart fluttered in her chest like hummingbird wings and she found herself nearly floating with a lightness she had not known before. Hands moved gently along the kitchen counter, shifting the dough in her hands with ease and obvious practice. It had been a stroke of luck that someone in Alexandria knew how to process wheat enough to make reasonable flour. The lack of sleep had made Gen bored and her excitement refused to be tamed. It was still much too early for Aaron or Eric to be up and she refused the idea of waking them for anything.

At first, she had planned on sitting out on the porch with a cup of coffee until the rest of the world rose with the peeking sun. However, she had spotted the small box of supplies Eric had brought back from the storage building and her mind had raced in an instant. Before she knew what she was doing, Gen had gathered the supplies to make sweet bread. Well, she had to use some substitutes, but it would make little difference in the end. The recipe came to her mind with ease and she could not help but feel an extra flutter of joy at a happy memory for once. 

While faces were still blank, shadows that were unfamiliar and unknown, the memories were clear. A woman in the kitchen with two little girls, one upon a stool watching closely as the woman made sweet bread and the other playing with some toy upon the floor. Gen wondered what sort of memory that was for her. Was she the woman? No, couldn’t be…the idea of children still seemed…strange. Was she one of the girls? Maybe…maybe it was her watching the woman bake. It would make sense considering how easily the recipe came to mind. 

Gen had thought it would be a decent surprise for the men who had so warmly welcomed her into their home. It also would make for something good to pack when she saw Daryl in a few short hours. The thought of seeing the hunter again caused an extra twitch of a smile upon her lips. Somehow, she was finding herself drawn to the man who had saved her life. She figured it had to do with the fact that he treated her like a human. 

Well, he wasn’t the only one. After the incident at Daryl’s home with his family, Gen had found herself in the company of many people. It was strange at first, but it seemed as if Daryl’s family was somehow accepting her. In a sense, it seemed as if they were opening up to her and letting her in on something she was missing. It had started small, with Maggie and Glenn inviting her over for breakfast. That had branched out to Rick and Carl wanting to show her their garden that they had been working on. That had led to sitting out on Aaron’s front porch with Judith in her lap and a chatty Carol at her hip. While she had not been around the whole group since the incident, it was clear people were not going to keep their distances. Hell, even Tara and Rosita had forced her to join a game of cards while Abraham talked their ear off with some humorous story from the past.

All those encounters had been nice, peaceful even, but they did not compare much to what Daryl had exposed her too. Daryl had given her a taste of the world beyond the walls. It had been the most liberating feeling to step beyond the gates of Alexandria and out into the thick groves of the forest. The sounds of animals scurrying about, the wind hissing through winding branches, the scent of unshed rain, and slight chill of the autumn air had given her chills. It felt like she could breathe again, as if the darkness had all but disappeared for a short window of time. Their time beyond the gates had not been long, just long enough to check on some snares Daryl had set up, but it had been enough. They had been quiet, comfortable in each other’s company. Occasionally, Daryl would talk about random things involving hunting or tracking or trapping. The man was wise about the natural world and Gen found herself absorbed. 

There had been a few things she seemed to remember out there like the call of a swallow that had been sitting above one of the snares or what sort of tree Daryl had set a new snare up under. She may not be an expert, she knew she wasn’t, but she seemed to know enough to impress Daryl just a bit. That had been the first, but certainly not the last time they had ventured beyond the walls of Alexandria. The second had been a longer trip, one that involved Daryl teaching her some of the basics of tracking and trapping. Damn snares had her in a string of curses as Daryl snickered over her inability to tie the rope correctly. Teaching was something Daryl seemed to do unconsciously beyond the gates. He told her facts and stories, ideas and theories. The man was deeper than his outer binding would lead you to believe. 

He had also begun to teach her the basics of self-defense and how to fight. He left gun training to Rick, something about him being a cop and a know it all in that field. Gen had to wonder if it was because Rick was simply eager to teach someone here at Alexandria how to survive. By some miracle, they had yet to run into a Walker. The idea of seeing those monsters again gave Gen chills, but she knew she had to learn how to kill one. However, it had been unusually quiet in the department of Walkers. Daryl called it strange, but claimed that you could never look a gifted horse in the mouth. Something had probably gathered their attention away from Alexandria for the moment, but they would be around. They were always around, somewhere. 

“Wow, smells good down here.” A voice called Gen’s attention and in an instance silver hues locked on a sleepy Eric. He hobbled slightly through the doorway, his ankle doing better every day. “Why are you up?” He questioned with a soft laugh as he sat down at the kitchen table. “I couldn’t sleep.” Gen spoke, her eyes shifting to   
the work before her. “I’m….sorry…” 

“What for?” Eric questioned in confusion, his hands encircled the sides of his neck in hopes of working out the kinks from sleep. 

“Saw the supplies you brought home…my mind…well it jumped and before I knew it I was baking so…” Gen spoke softly, feeling heat rise in her pale flesh. The small giggle of a laugh, a sign that the man found something cute, caught her attention. She relaxed at the sound, knowing it meant Eric wasn’t bothered. “I also wanted to do something…I mean I haven’t exactly been useful.” 

“Well, you’ve been healing.” Eric countered, the sound of the chair shifting against the tile echoed in the small kitchen space. Movement echoed behind her as she finished what she was doing and moved to place her creation into the stove. Eric had wandered to the coffee pot and was beginning to start a brew. “Yes, but I’m better now…I know I don’t exactly sleep routinely, but everything else is okay. Morgan said he’d even take the stitches out and my bandages off in a few days. Figured baking was the least I could do.” 

“Well…if you’re eager to help out I’m sure Deanna would love to find you a job.” 

Pausing, Gen hummed softly. She had met Deanna once, well more so in passing as the woman was on her way to some house party. Ha! House parties in the   
apocalypse. Sounded like some bad B rated cult film with a whacky unconvincing serial killer. Gen would never understand the leisurely way these people lived. They really needed to change their way of life or they would not survive here. She had seen some of the changes, could see what Rick and his people were doing, but it was clearly slow going. Either way, Gen was unsure of her thoughts and feelings on Deanna. The woman seemed harmless, but she had once been in charge of Alexandria. Now Rick and his people were which she seemed to take oddly well. Maybe she hadn’t wanted the power to begin with? Maybe it had been forced upon her? It seemed like she still played some role in the running of Alexandria but it was difficult to judge the woman. 

“I’m…not sure if I’ll have a place here.” Gen muttered as she took the mug of coffee Eric had offered her with a gentle smile.

“Nonsense, I’m sure there are a ton of things you could help out with. Besides, gonna need something more to do than be inside all day especially when Aaron and   
Daryl go out. I’m not sure if you should head out beyond the gate when Daryl’s not around.”

A frown marred Gen’s pale features as the mention of Daryl’s job brought up memories of what it exactly was Daryl did. That’s right, he could be gone for a few days or a week or so at a time looking for new people for this place. That was how he had found her. Part of her felt a bit sad at the fact she would not see him for the time he would be gone. It was a hallow ache that started in her chest and worked its way into her stomach and bones. 

“When does he have to go next?” 

As if reading her mind, Gen witnessed a sad, understanding smile come to Eric’s soft face. He placed his hand, warm and heavy on her shoulder. Patting it once before moving to sit down again, Eric spoke. “In a week…I think…kinda sad huh? I worry about Aaron out there without me, but Aaron and Daryl are good together. They always come back and they will come back time and time again.” Gen nodded numbly as she took a spot across from Eric. Sipping hesitantly from her mug, she wondered what time here would be like without Daryl. If she thought about it, she had spent most every day here with the man except for in the beginning. At that time, she had been too weak and injured to move from the bed. 

“So, what are you and Daryl up to today? Going beyond the gate again?” Eric questioned, seeming to brighten up in an attempt to change the subject.   
A twitch of a smile came to blood red lips as silver eyes peered at Eric over the rim of the plain white mug clasped loosely between her hands. “Well, I think Daryl wanted to go hunting. So…I guess I’m just company.” 

“Maybe he’ll teach you?”

Gen couldn’t help the small bubble of noise that escaped her lips; it was soft and nearly impossible to hear. Had she just laughed? The noise startled Gen for a   
moment, silver eyes widening a fraction of an inch before her gaze traveled towards Eric. It seemed the other had heard the sound as well. 

Silence seemed to stretch between them for but a moment before Eric’s lips stitched into a bright smile and a booming laughter. Unable to help herself, Gen found her shoulders shaking as more noise escaped blood stained lips. Her laughs were soft and breathy, almost as forgotten as her memories, but it was still there. Somehow, the feeling was familiar yet new, but it felt good. It felt so very good. When had she last laughed? 

“I don’t think I’ve heard that noise coming from you before.” Aaron spoke from the kitchen doorway. Gen could see his left hand disappearing to the back of his head to scrub over the rat’s nest of brown hair. The man had evidently slept well and maybe they had been just a bit too loud. Eric was quick to quiet his laughter, getting up to tend to the man who had his heart locked away for what Gen could only hope to be forever. 

Aaron smiled at her softly as he took his own seat at the table, allowing Eric to fuss over him as seemed to be routine in the morning. “I can’t remember the last time I laughed.” Gen muttered, but the smile still upon her face and the lightness still within her throat. There was a peaceful feeling within her chest, a calming of the darkness that has been threatening to consume her since waking. 

“So what was so funny?” Aaron questioned softly causing Gen’s lips to tighten in a broader smile.

“Eric said Daryl might teach me to hunt.” 

At those words, even Aaron snickered softly. “I’m not sure if he will or not. Seems like his pride and joy is in hunting, not sure if he’ll willing to hand those skills down to someone.” 

“He might. I heard he’s taught Carl a thing or two.” Eric replied to Aaron’s comment as he returned to his own chair with a fresh mug of coffee. Setting it before Aaron, Gen watched the gentleness in their interactions before gazing down at her mug once more.

“Doesn’t matter what he teaches me…I’m just glad to be doing something useful and…I’m glad to be leaving this place for at least a while.” 

“You really don’t like it here, huh?” Eric questions her with a saddened gaze.

“Its not that…I hate it, it’s just that it feels wrong.” 

“Wrong?” 

“I keep getting this feeling that…I’ve been in a community like this before and…I don’t know…it didn’t last? Maybe? I just…keep getting bad feelings here…”

“Do you…think something is going to happen?” 

“Alexandria is in really good condition and well protected.” Aaron supported.

“I don’t know…maybe I’m paranoid.” Gen commented with a soft shrug as a knock echoed before the sounds of the front door creaked upon its hinges. 

Unknowingly, Gen’s lips shifted upwards and the strange feelings of paranoia and hidden memories faded at the sight of Daryl in the kitchen doorway. Raising a hand in a simple greeting, blue eyes were instantly locked upon silver. “Morning Daryl, want any coffee? Or something to eat? I think the bread Gen made should be ready.” 

Eric questioned, always seeming to play the mother hen to all and any who he met. 

“Bread?” Daryl questioned, his brows knitting together in a slight look of confusion as blue eyes squinted just a bit harder on Gen. Feeling heat raise in her face, Gen unconsciously found herself pushing silver locks behind her left ear as her eyes fell to the table. What a strange feeling. It had overcome her with Daryl’s confusion. A mixture of embarrassment, perhaps shame, but a bit of worry over such a simple topic as cooking. “I-it’s nothing much…just an old sweet bread recipe I...seem to remember.”

Unable to focus on Daryl, Gen merely waited in silence in hopes that her simple memory would be taken as anything but serious. A small grunt caught her attention, silver raising just enough to see Daryl shrug his left shoulder. There was the smallest tint of color to his cheeks, hard to tell really, since his skin had been kissed by the sun from being outside almost all the time. He scratched idly at his cheek before making a quick, sharp jerk of the head. 

“Pack some. We gotta get going while it’s still early.” He muttered before turning away from the door to wait in the living room. A weight seemed to lift from Gen’s shoulders as she quickly stood and disposed of her empty mug. It took but a few moments for her to take the bread out of the oven, gather her things, before cutting enough of the sweet bread up to take with them. Wrapping it up neatly, she placed it within the backpack she had recently begun to carry with her. 

Daryl had mentioned that keeping a ‘to go bag’ was never a bad idea. It was filled with simple essentials, an extra knife, a few bottles of water, and some easy to carry food. Daryl claimed it was best to have when you were on the move, had to leave somewhere quickly, or were separated from one’s group. Gen couldn’t help but wonder how many times such things may have happened to the archer. After all, experience was what built up the rules for survival. 

Once she was done, Gen met Daryl outside on the porch. She could hardly contain the smile that was painted so perfectly upon her stained lips. It only made her feel lighter to see the small smile Daryl shot back at her before he descended the steps to the bike that was parked in the driveway. “We’re riding that today?” Gen questioned, her smile fading slightly as a bit of dread filled her stomach like lead. 

“We’re goin’ further out today. Saw a river not far south a’ here. Figured it be good for hutnin’…see if it’s fish-able.” Daryl explained simply as he straddled the hunk of metal that had taken on most of the man’s frustrations, sweat, and blood when it came to adjusting to life here. Swallowing hard, Gen wandered closer to the contraption and began to gnaw gently at her bottom lip, sucking it between white teeth and making the red color darker with worry.

“Ain’t gonna bite ya. Get on.” Daryl spoke with a slight smirk, clearly enjoying her bit of weariness over the bike. “I…don’t think I’ve ever ridden one.” Gen found   
herself whispering as she moved to straddle the bike behind Daryl. Hesitantly, she held the straps of her bag, unsure of what to do with her hands. 

“Don’t matter…I’m drivin’. Now, will ya relax and hold on ta me.” The archer grumbled before his hands swung back and high enough to grasp her thin pale wrists. His tug was gentle, but it was enough encouragement for Gen to let go of her bag and allow her arms to be pulled tight around Daryl’s waist. In an instant, Gen clasped her hands together just above Daryl’s hips. Heat seemed to come to her face as she pressed herself full against Daryl’s back, worried over the possibility of falling.

“Trust me?” 

The question was so softly spoken; it took a moment for Gen to realize Daryl had even spoken. His words were quiet and gentle, lacking the gruff and usual rumble of his deep voice. Did she trust him? Without even thinking, Gen tightened her hold on Daryl’s waist and pressed her forehead against his back. With a sharp bob of silver, the bike roared to life beneath her and vibrated with the intensity of a cheap carnival ride. However, Gen trusted Daryl. She trusted him, she knew she did, but she was not sure why or how Daryl had gained that trust. It was as if he didn’t even have to try. 

“Don’t you trust me.” A voice spoke darkly in her ear, low and menacing laced with promises that only the naïve would believe in. “Come on ----, I’m your husband…trust me.” 

“But…you lied to me…you…stole my samples…what you and Sarah did? How dare you ask me to trust you! As far as I’m concerned the divorce papers have already been signed and fuck even without a lawyer or judge or government or whatever we’re not married.” Gen hissed sharply.

“----…Fuck!...I know, I know, I fucked up, but please trust me now. I have the most brilliant idea. I think Dr. Hartley and I can fix all of this.”

“Dr. Hartley?! Are you fucking insane?! That bastard isn’t even allowed to conduct experiments anymore; he was moved to the technology division for a reason. He   
makes medical equipment now. That’s all he is allowed to do, you remember all the lawsuits and shit. The only reason he’s even still here is because he’s got fucking connections with the higher ups.” 

“But, this idea it’ll work.”

“No, I don’t want to know anything. You shouldn’t be working with him or working on your research. I told you, besides my department everyone else needs to focus   
on supplies, keeping those monsters’ numbers down, and helping out the other survivors.”

“But hon-”

“Don’t fucking honey me. I told you Allan…we’re done…now…I gotta get back to Molly and Jean…you know lab assistances can’t run the lab.” Gen spoke, half a smile   
coming to her features at the small joke on the behalf of her aides. 

The shadow of the man danced beneath the lids of her eyes, as did the movement of turning and walking away. However, it was the sharp explosion of pain that radiated from the base of her skull through to her eyes, which caused the sharp gasp and white spots to appear.

Gasping for air like a dying fish upon the shore, Gen’s silver eyes snapped open only to flinch at the whipping breeze that assaulted her. Burying her face into black leather and stitched angel wings, Gen could not help the small whimper that escaped her lips. The darkness was there at the forefront of her mind, tying her heart up tight and harsh. Poisoning her lungs little by little, making it hard to breathe and think. A small jolt raced up and between the bones of her spine as a warm hand rested gently over her clasped hands. Silver flickered open, protected by the broad back of the man before her. Feeling the tug of a small smile upon her lips, Gen felt herself relax once more. 

Like an anchor in the vast ocean of darkness, the warmth of Daryl’s hand seemed to keep her still and calm. The touch seemed to drive back the darkness, allowing the light to flicker to life like a dying fire given a breath of oxygen. Somehow, it helped for the rest of the ride, until Daryl decided they had arrived at their location.  
Feeling the bike come to a stop and the engine cut, Gen lifted her head slightly and allowed her gaze to wander. A soft squeeze on her clasped hands caught her attention and with a small frown, she released Daryl from her grasp. “Ya okay?” He questioned, blue eyes meeting silver once more as Gen moved to get off the bike. Forcing a smile, Gen nodded as her eyes flickered back towards the vast openness of the clearing they had come to. It was a surprise the road got so close, the river but a few yards away from them. 

She wondered if they were in some sort of nature preserve or reservation of some kind. Some place with roads big enough for service vehicles and recreational vehicles to come through as need be. It was rather pretty in all honesty, painted up with the early morning sun. There was quietness here as well, only the small noises of wildlife echoing about them. There didn’t seem to be any signs of Walkers, even with the loud roar of Daryl’s bike. 

Either way, Gen knew that they would be moving quickly from this spot in order to avoid anything that had been attracted to the sounds of the bike. Maybe there was a spot somewhere up or down river, that Daryl had scouted out before hand that he had found promising. He had wanted to hunt, all she could do was follow him and hope their adventure out was uneventful. 

“Ya sure yer okay…thought you were mutterin’ again.” Daryl spoke as he gathered his own equipment. His crossbow and a small bag of supplies had been situated snuggly in the bike’s oversized satchel bag. 

“I’m fine.” Gen commented, attempting to hide the fact that she had indeed been muttering once more. It always seemed that Daryl’s attention was focused on her at the worst of times, when her mind decided to slip past the present and travel down the road of hazy memories. She wondered what all that had meant, just as she wondered about everything else that her mind came up with. From what she could tell…she had been married? Married…why did that just not feel right? Her mind supplied the words ‘divorced’ and ‘done’. What had happened that would end her marriage? Something about that woman…Sarah…but who was she? 

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as her head shook in an attempt to rid the memory from her mind. 

“Gen.” Daryl’s gruff voice claimed her attention in an instant, silver locking on the man who was about ten yards away. “Coming?” He questioned, jerking his shoulder   
towards the river as he handled his bow with practiced ease. “Yeah.” She called, checking her hip for the knife Daryl had given her on their first run out. The familiar weight of the weapon seemed to calm her nerves some, giving her a chance to forget her memories for the time being.

With quick steps, Gen found herself following but a few feet behind Daryl. His movements were precise, practiced, and skillful, something that made her believe he had done this all his life. She could remember all their conversations from all their trips thus far. From what he had been willing to tell her outside of facts and tips, life had been hell for the hunter before the world had even fallen. Yet, somehow, that life of hell prepared him for this new world and Gen believed he was an essential now. 

“So…ya remembered how ta bake.” Daryl commented off handedly after twenty minutes or so of walking. Honestly, Gen was surprised she could walk so quietly within the bounds of the forest. Daryl had been impressed the first time they had gone out, questioned her if she had a history of hunting to which she could only reply with a shrug. Maybe her dad had gone a time or two. Maybe she was just…quiet? 

Daryl talking meant that there was no danger and no sign of game for the time being. It was the only time he seemed to speak with her when they were out, well this and when they rested. If he was hunting or sensed danger, it was all business and no bullshit. A huff of laugh escaped Gen’s lips as her eyes scanned the broad shoulders of the hunter she walked but a step behind. 

“Yeah…I…saw the box of supplies and this memory came to my head.” She spoke in a soft voice, their need for any louder conversation absent. “Two little girls and a woman…one of the girls were playing on the floor….the other watching the woman bake sweet bread.” 

“You were watching your mother.” Daryl commented, seeming to notice her words before Gen could even process the memory. 

“Maybe…I’d like to think so.” 

“Then ya…had a sister?” Daryl questioned, his head shifting slightly to gaze back at her. Blue flittered between dark brow bangs and Gen could not help the twitch of a smile upon her lips.

“I guess I might have…” Gen spoke before her footfalls came to a gentle stop. Silver eyes flickered towards the surface of the river nearby on her left, a strange feeling filtered within her body. A familiar tendril of warmth and love, a tenderness she almost felt was forgotten. In the distances, she could hear that Daryl had stopped as   
well and knew the man was watching her. He always seemed to watch her.

“No…not might have…I did.” The gentle smile rose to her lips as a feeling of joy and hope burst from the center of her heart like a shotgun. Raising her hand to her head, Gen let out a soft sound…a sob like laugh before her eyes turned to Daryl. “I-I had a sister…I..I can remember her face.” 

There was the smallest hint of a smile on the man’s face and softness in his eyes. The look was warm and familiar and it made her heart skip a beat. “Not all memories are bad.” He muttered softly as he gently jerked his head in the direction they had been headed. Nodding, Gen understood the signal and began to follow Daryl once more.

“Did…you have any siblings?” Gen found herself whispering softly, her mind focused on the face of a young girl with bright hazel eyes and curly blonde locks. The girl   
in her mind was maybe only seven, with pig tails and demin overalls. Freckles, that she somehow knew in time would fade, adored the bridge of the girl’s nose. 

“Had…a brother…Merle.” Daryl muttered. 

Gen paused, silver eyes locked on the tense line of the man’s shoulders. Without saying much, she found herself picking up the pace to walk beside Daryl and no longer behind him. He had said ‘had’, meaning his brother was gone. For that, Gen felt the darkness lick at the light in her chest like a sweet, tainting the light with each swipe. “How?” She found herself muttering.

A scoff, the driest of laughs, Daryl answered her. “Being a selfish bastard for once in his damn life.” There was a fondness there, beneath the harsh tone. Gen could tell Merle had meant the world to Daryl and even gone he was still loved dearly. Reaching out, Gen found the palm of her hand warm upon Daryl’s bicep. A gentle squeeze and Daryl stopped, locking blue with silver once more. Somehow, they shared a look of understanding…as if the loss was familiar along with the pain. What that meant….Gen wasn’t sure of yet, but she had a feeling it meant her sister was no longer part of this world either.

Removing her hand, Gen hummed gently as a smile came to her lips. “I bet he’s proud of you…you seem so capable in this world.” The praise was simple, easy, and true but it had clearly ruffled Daryl’s feathers a little. He merely grunted a reply before picking up the pace just a bit.

Then next few hours had been spent in various states of comfortable silence and gentle communication. It seemed as if they could live in each other’s silence perfectly, then talk about anything and everything in the world. The chitchat was idle and calm, conversations of the past like long gone favorite foods and events, to favorite colors and animals and the likes. It was silly, but it past the time in between signs of tracks and tracking.

Daryl had managed to hunt down at least three rabbits and a good handful of squirrels. His eyes were trained upon the ground in hopes of some bigger game. From what they had observed of the river, fish were scarce the farther upstream they went. By about mid-day, they had circled back around to head down stream. That held more promise of fish it seemed, but less promise of game. 

A little after midday they had decided to stop and take a break. They sat along the riverbed, Gen’s pack open and a chuck of sweet bread in each of their grasps. Daryl hummed softly beside her, seeming to enjoy the simple creation. From their talks, it was clear Daryl had one hell of a sweet tooth. With all the lack of processed foods and preservatives, such things were impossible to find unless made fresh. That was only possible if you managed to track down anything that you could possible work with. 

They sat nearly shoulder to shoulder, Gen’s feet bare and soaking in the chilly water of the river. Her mind conjured more memories of the past; summers spent jumping off docks and swinging from tire swings into a body of water. She could remember the feel of the mud and the scent of the earth that clung to her young body for days. 

Unconsciously, Gen leaned slightly against Daryl…his warmth and his presences ever the anchor in this new world. How had she become so trapped by this man? How had he become the light that fended off the darkness when it threatened to consume her? Her mind supplied simply that it was because he had saved her life, an association of sorts. Maybe that was the truth, but her heart ached and wrote another story. A story with more complex feelings and tangled confusion. 

“Tired?” Daryl’s voice grumbled softly, catching Gen’s attention as she realized it was not only her body leaned into the man but also her head rested gently upon his shoulder. Feeling the heat upon her face once more, Gen shrugged softly. “A little I suppose….but I’m alright..” Why did she not desire to move? Daryl made no move to show his discomfort, no move that indicated she should lean away. Therefore, Gen merely remained in place, feeling rather content. 

“Eric says you hardly sleep…” 

“It’s hard to…” Gen commented with a shrug. “I don’t know…sometimes I feel so tired, but then other times…I can’t close my eyes.”

“Head won’t shut up.” Gen snorted slightly at Daryl’s comment, surprised at the man’s ability to read her mind.

“Yeah…it likes to run around at night…trying to figure out all these…fragments of memory.” 

There was quiet for some time, the mere sounds of the babbling river water and the rustle of wind between the branches the only noise.   
“Ya can rest if ya want.” Daryl commented and Gen could feel him shift to look down at her. A frown marred her features as silver sought out blue. “Naw…we’re supposed to be hunting and stuff.”

“Can wait an hour or so.” Daryl muttered simply before his attention returned to the sight of the forest around them. His crossbow was balanced cautiously beside his sprawled out legs. Didn’t seem like the man was planning to move anytime soon, but he was clearly prepared to watch out for any dangers in the meantime. “Get some sleep.” His voice rumbled slightly as a heavy hand rested upon the top of her head.

It was strange, the feeling of fingers threading her white blonde locks for but a few moments before disappearing. Yet, it was comforting and all the encouragement she needed to allow silver eyes to flicker close. Maybe she could rest for a few moments at least, though she wondered when her body would get use to this new world. 

Unsure of how long she had actually slept, Gen jolted forward at the gurgling sound of a groan right beside her ear. It seemed her movements startled the archer, who looked at her with the air of confusion. Gen had no time to answer his stare as her body twisted almost painfully around, silver staring into the thick groves of trees behind them. “Gen?” Daryl questioned, pausing at the sounds of a snapping branch as a wave of moaning hit the breeze and finally reached Daryl’s ears. Gen   
scrambled to put her shoes back on. 

“Fuck…walkers.” He grumbled as he quickly got up off the ground. Gen was quick to follow, catching her pack as Daryl threw it at her. Daryl already had his bow out and loaded, pointed at the tree line as the first of about four mangled corpses passed beyond the trees. Silver eyes locked with white glossy orbs as the feeling of lead and darkness sunk her body into a state of shock.

The wisp and thud of an arrow making contact brought Gen back to the world quickly as the closest Walker dropped like a fly. Daryl was loading up another arrow as more began to come out of the dense forest. “Gen!” Daryl hollered as his hand clasped tightly over her arm and suddenly they were running. There were too many to take out here with their backs to the river. They would be trapped or swept away by the rougher waters in the middle of the river. 

Gen nearly slammed into Daryl when the man stopped and released her hand in favor of his bow. There was the sound of arrows flying as Daryl shot and moved, shot and moved. He was making a beeline back to the bike that much Gen could tell as she moved to keep up with the man. A sharp turn away from the riverbed, they found themselves within the forest towards the dirt road the bike was parked. However, when turning around a tree Gen found they were suddenly cut off from one another. 

Suddenly, she was alone and face to face with one of these monsters. It’s white orbs wide and focused, decayed fingers stretched out to grasp and claim. Breathing heavily, Gen felt panic shutter up her form as she back away and stumbled. Air left her lungs as her back suddenly meet the solid form of a tree trunk. 

Then suddenly, she wasn’t in the forest anymore. Suddenly, the world was a long white hallway with gray tiled floor. Even the Walker before her was different, no longer, a man with patches of skin missing and white hair, but a woman with hallowed, fading blue eyes that haunted the soul and black hair. “Molly…” Gen whispered as tears began to sting the corners of her eyes. The panic was suddenly replaced with nauseating anger and disgust. “Allan! I’m going to fucking kill you!” 

Her voice ripped from her throat as she pulled her knife from the hostler on her side and slammed the sharpened tip deep into the forehead of the Walker. The haunting look of blue eyes darkened as life was stripped from the corpse once more. “I’m sorry Molly….I’m so sorry…” She whispered as the corpse fell to the ground at her feet, the bloody knife still clutched in her grasp. 

The sound of the body hitting the tile was sickening yet…satisfying. Molly wouldn’t suffer anymore…the poor biology intern…she had so much promise. She would have made it in this world…she would have. Silver eyes filtered up, locking on the other bodies within the hallway. Many of them scattered the floor, their lives completely cut short and gone. How much blood was she covered in? She felt dirty…sick to her stomach. Panting, Gen moved forward and her feet expertly moved around the limbs of the dead. Where was she going?

Turning the corner, her eyes focused on a man she did not know. A large knife within his grasp, dispatching monster after monster in his path. Something was leaving his lips, some words that could not reach her. Everything sounded muted and dark, like rushing water in her ears. At the sight of a Walker coming up behind the man, unknown and unseen, Gen felt the anger rise. Jean…her other lab aide…what had Allan done. 

Without thinking, without worry over the consequences of her actions, Gen saw red as she stabbed her knife into the creatures head before its hands could grasp leather. It dropped hard onto the ground and suddenly, the world shifted again. She was not staring down at the familiar brunette with hazel eyes who had worked for her for five years; no, she was staring at the tattered body of an old woman in her late sixties. The white walls and gray tile were gone, replaced once more by forest green and trees dying with the seasons.

“Gen!” A voice called as strong hands latched onto her arms and spun her around. Suddenly, silver met blue and the world made sense again. 

“D-daryl…” Gen questioned with a gasp, realizing the lack of monsters around them and the expression of worry etched deeply into the man’s features. 

“Are you alright? Where the fuck were you? You were right behind me.” He grumbled, voice laced with anger and confusion, outweighed by pain and worry. Large,   
warm hands patted down her arms, over her waist and hips even so far as down her legs. “Ya bit? Ya okay?” 

As relief bloomed in Gen’s chest, she gasped for air and nodded. “F-f-ine…I’m fine…got separated.” She gasped with an unnatural smile of relief. It seemed Daryl had sensed the lack of wounds, sensed she was all right as the relief spread to his features as well.

Without warning, Gen found herself pressed against a thick chest and strong arms around her waist to keep her close. “Fuck…don’t scare me like that.” Daryl growled   
out low, his chin resting upon the top of her head. He pulled back just a bit, hands rose to frame her face, and Gen felt the warmth bloom again. There was a dance of emotion behind those blue orbs as Daryl rested his forehead against her’s and sighed. They stayed like that for a long moment before Daryl finally decided to move back. When he did, Gen was almost certain of the flush of color to his face. “Fuck…least we know you can handle your own now…not exactly how I wanted ta find that out. Gotta stay close ta me.” He grumbled again.

Gen couldn’t help the smile that formed upon her face as the relief settled in her chest. They were both fine, covered in some gore but fine. However, the smile faded quickly from Gen’s lips as silver locked upon movement just behind Daryl’s left shoulder. Without so much as thinking, Gen shoved hard at Daryl’s side, causing the man to stumble back and just out of reach of a decaying hand. 

“Fuck!” Gen could hear Daryl curse as the sound of an arrow being loaded echoed in her ear. However, there wasn’t enough time, wasn’t enough distance for the arrow to go off as the dead moved the last few feet of grass between it and Gen. “Gen!”Daryl’s voice echoed in her ear, so did the movement behind her, but she was suddenly frozen.

Silver eyes locked on white orbs of a man, its arms outstretched and hands clasped tightly into the flesh of her upper arms. Its face inches from her own, the scent of decay and death so strong it could make one gage. Gen expected the teeth, expected the feeling of ripping flesh, and the unbridled pain to return…but it never did. 

Instead, it was as if a calm had overcome the creature. Its moans, snarls, and growls of desire silenced. Like a statue, it merely stood there and stared at Gen. Eyes locked, its jaw was slack and its grip no longer tight. Within that moment, Gen realized something…something she did not know…did not know the reason, the cause, or the consequence.

The Walker…was not going to attack her. It did not want her.

The thud of an arrow pulled the creature away from her before she could even blink.


	8. In Darkness...there is Truth

The sound of the corpse collapsing to the ground was dull in the unshakable depths of Gen’s mind. Firm hands found her arms, shook her, a worried voice near screaming in her deaf ears was nothing to the shock and frozen state of Gen’s body. Silver eyes were locked upon the corpse, frozen, chest constricting breathe and crushing her lungs. There was a tremble beneath her skin and a sickening realization bubbling through her stomach. 

It hadn’t been after her…

It stopped short…

Why didn’t it bite her….?

Darkness began to lick at the corners of her vision, spots dancing to a tuneless melody before blurring with salty tears. A harsh shake from firm hands and a voice yelling at her to breathe finally broke the spell upon her form. Gasping sharply, Gen hadn’t even realized she had stopped breathing as tears began to trace her cheeks. 

“Wh-why!” She found her voice screaming, cracking in Daryl’s face as the man refused to let go of her trembling body. 

“Why didn’t it bite me! It stopped! It stopped!” 

Silver took in the expression of confusion, the fury of emotional turmoil behind blue eyes, and it was as if she was dropped in a pool of ice water. “What are you talking about?” Daryl’s voice was soft, a warm hand coming to cup her left cheek as tears continued to flow heavily. He hadn’t seen it, he hadn’t noticed it. “I shot it before it got to close, that’s why you weren’t bitten….what were ya thinkin’…” 

“No!” Gen snapped pulling her form sharply from Daryl’s hold. 

“I pushed you…It would have hurt you…B-but…it was so close to me….why…why didn’t it bite me!? Daryl it just…..just stopped..” The harsh volume of her voice faded on the word ‘stopped’. It had stopped, it had come to a calm. “It….it wasn’t going to bite me..” She whispered feeling as if her mind was breaking. Fisting a hand in her short blonde locks, Gen bit hard on her bottom lip as her eyes continued to lock on the corpse upon the ground, she pulled at her hair.

Was she crazy? Had it all been in her head? Was she losing her mind?! The feeling of strong arms about her body once more caused a jolt of surprise to race through her spine as her vision was blocked by black leather. There were no words, he didn’t say a word and Gen could feel his hand gently moving to untangle her fingers from her hair. That hand held onto her own firmly, keeping her grounded in both mind and body. Gen failed to notice her labored breathing, failed to notice the exhaustion that tolled on her body as she leaned into Daryl’s form. She couldn’t help the hiccup in her throat as Daryl’s voice gently shushed her sobbing form. 

“Let’s get outta here…” He muttered softly, gently pulling her body with his form. He kept a single arm wrapped around her shoulders as they continued through the forest, heading back towards the bike that seemed like a long forgotten memory to Gen. Daryl hadn’t seen it…had he…it was almost too obvious by his confusion. Yet, there was a sharp pull in his brows as if he was deeply lost in thought. Maybe he was just as unsure of what had happened as she was. One thing Gen was sure of while she climbed onto Daryl’s bike…

Whatever had been done to her had stolen something that made her human in the eyes of Walkers. 

The ride back to Alexandria was silent and quiet, something Gen found she was grateful for. She was tired, her body feeling as if it was shutting down with each passing moment. Her mind was still lost on the corpse they had left behind in the forest. Somehow, there was this deeply rooted urge to see if what happened was true. Had she merely seen it wrong? Had Daryl put the Walker down before it got too close? Was that why it seemed to relax and calm? However, the thud of the arrow was after all that…wasn’t it? Resting her forehead against Daryl’s back, Gen blinked at the slight tension in the man’s form. 

Lifting her head, Gen took notice of the slowing of Daryl’s bike until they stopped in the middle of the road. There was nothing but silence here, quiet, and luring as if for once there was peace in this new world. Not wanting to risk her voice, Gen merely sat there for a long moment before moving to unclasp the hunter’s waist. However, as her hands began to loosen a firm hand shot down to clasp over her hands, preventing her from moving further. Blinking in confusion, silver flickered upwards to stare at the back of the archer’s head. 

“Daryl?” She whispered softy, confusion lacing her speech. 

Nothing was said in reply, but there was movement. A warm hand clasped onto one of her own and suddenly, Gen found her right hand behind raised up and placed gently against a broad chest. The rapidly racing patter of a heartbeat startled Gen slightly as she made note of its unhealthy speed. She felt Daryl’s chest expand with a deep breath before exhaling. He shifted slightly to gaze back at her, locking silver with blue. 

“Don’t do somethin’ stupid like that again.” He finally muttered. “Ya should have run…shouldn’t have gotten so close ta ya.” 

Silver eyes widened as Gen realized the meaning behind Daryl’s words, realized the guilt that was eating away at the quiet man. “You’d have preferred it trying to bite you?” She questioned in cynical disgust. “Don’t even try to mean that…” Gen muttered softly as she rested her forehead against the back of his shoulder. “Ya may have  
saved my life…doesn’t mean you have to risk your life for me or feel guilty in a situation like that. I owe you for saving my life anyways…”

Daryl scoffed before her, his body shaking slightly as he shook his head. “Don’t own me nothin’…yer a good person…would have done the same…” He was quiet for a moment and Gen relaxed in the quiet yet awkwardness of the air around them. “S’ides….ain’t got nothin’ to do with saving yer life…can’t I feel guilty for puttin’ someone I care about at risk?” 

All thought seemed to leave Gen in that one moment, focused upon that one sentence as Daryl turned back around. Gen felt her hand being shifted back to its original position around Daryl’s waist. Unable to help herself, Gen felt her body shutter with a quiet laughter. 

“Awe, you really care about me?” Her tone was teasing, light hearted, and like that, the tension in the air seemed to snap like a wire. 

“Shut up.” Daryl retorted, his tone lighter as it was clear his message had gotten thru. Even with the confusion over what had happened back in the forest; Gen couldn’t help but smile softly at the light feeling that invaded her bones. With that, they continued on their way back to the safe-zone.

By the time they had returned, it was late in the evening and Gen couldn’t help but feel the exhaustion deep within her bones. Once past the gates, Daryl parked his bike in front of Aaron and Eric’s dark home. Slipping off, Gen stumbled slightly as heat began to pool in her cheeks. She felt silly for her actions and the worried look in Daryl’s eyes didn’t help her feel any less embarrassed. “Sorry….just…tired.” She muttered, trying to reassure Daryl. The day had been far too taxing, both physically and emotionally. Not to mention the usual mental torment she suffered had been worse than usual.

“Um…wonder where Eric and Aaron are…” She muttered, trying to break the silence to cover up for her moment of weakness. She really shouldn’t be this tired. “Probably at some house party…” Daryl muttered off handedly as he handed over her pack before gathering his own things. “Sounds so stupid….house parties at the end of the world.” 

A snort behind her signaled Daryl’s agreement to her words, as she wandered up the few steps to the house’s front door. Maybe she should see about getting her own place, sometimes she felt as if she was intruding upon Eric and Aaron. Shaking her head, she paused slightly and turned in slight surprise to find Daryl behind her. Locking eyes with the man, she raised a brow in confusion. “What?” He questioned a sly smile upon his lips that caused Gen to huff slightly. 

“Figured you’d head home…to your people.” 

A shrug was her only reply as she turned and opened the front door. “Figured I could snag a shower…drop some of the bike stuff off.” Gen nodded to his words as her eyes flickered downwards, taking in the amount of mud, grime, and gore on her form. Wow, she hadn’t realized how dirty she had gotten out there.  
Flicking on the living room lights, Gen turned to see that Daryl was covered in just about as much filth as she was if not more. A smirk came to her lips before a small giggle escaped her lips. “You look like shit.” 

“Yer one ta talk.” He countered as he dropped his pack next to the sofa, there was a slight smile upon his lips that told Gen that his mood was lighter than it had been.

“Well…I’m…gonna grab a shower” Gen commented as she headed for the stairs, figuring Daryl knew Aaron’s house well enough to find the other bathroom. 

Shutting her bedroom door behind her, Gen sighed heavily before heading to the attached bathroom. She showered quickly, allowing her mind to go blank in the wake of hot water and steam. Unsure of how long she was in there, Gen emerged from her room in a pair of red plaid PJ bottoms and a black tank top. Her bare feet dug into the softness of the carpet slightly as she ran her fingers through damp white blonde locks. Unsure if Daryl had returned home by now, she wandered down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen. Food sounded good at the moment and then probably bed. It was still early but the exhaustion hadn’t exactly faded with the shower. 

Before she could make it into the kitchen, her silver eyes locked on the man in question. Daryl was sprawled out on the living room sofa with a bottle of Jack Daniels and two plates of food on the low table. Raising a brow, Gen couldn’t help but smirk slightly as she wandered towards the man. “Thought you would have headed home.” 

“That eager to be rid of me?” Daryl questioned with a raised brow, something…playful?...in his eyes. 

“No..” Gen finally muttered as she sat down on the opposite end of the sofa. It wasn’t that big of a sofa, just barely enough room between the end of the sofa and one  
of Daryl’s long legs for her to sit. The man seemed to sit up, shifting his legs so she had more room before reaching for one of the plates. “Figured ya be hungry.” He muttered handing her one of the plates, she found it filled with what appeared to be some kind of meat.

“What is this?” She questioned as she picked up a piece between her fingers, ignoring the fork sitting upon the table.

“Squirrel.” Daryl replied as he shifted into a better position in order to enjoy his own food. Gen watched quietly as the man picked up a piece between his fingers and took a bite. “Ain’t bad…not as good as rabbit, but better than possum.” He commented.

Smiling, Gen took a bite of the food and found it to be acceptable to her pallid. Not that she could be picky in this new world with food, but it was nice when the food agreed with her. They ate in silence for several long moments before Daryl reached out to grasp the bottle of Jack. Gen watched as he took a long sip before holding the bottle out in her direction. Raising a brow, Daryl smirked slightly. “Don’t tell me ya ain’t a drinker.” 

Snorting a laugh, Gen reached out to take the bottle. “Not exactly a whisky girl.” Gen commented as she took a sip, allowing the alcohol to warm her system in a pleasant and familiar way. “Was more of a Vodka girl to be honest.” She commented, handing the bottle back. “Ever had shine?” He questioned, taking another sip before passing the bottle back.

Gen huffed another laugh as she took another sip. “My Papa…he use to make a mean shine…always had it round the holidays. My dad…he didn’t really approve of it, but ma would just wave it off as a family tradition.” With the alcohol flooding her system after several passes of the bottle, Gen found herself relaxing into the sofa and she found herself talking.

“Lived in this little white house in the country…blue shutters…wrap-around porch and acres of land that Papa use to use for a vineyard. Was just me, Papa, mom, dad, and Sarah…neighbors were like five miles down the road.” Gen spoke, but found she wasn’t the only one willing to talk with the allure of booze.  
“Sounds better than the crappy shack of a house I grew up in. Pa was a mean son of a bitch…but Ma was in love and Mer and I dealed with it. Had this old lady next door…treated us like grandkids or somethin’. Was nice.” Daryl muttered. 

“Sounds like a harsh life.” 

“Ain’t no golden life that’s for sure.” 

“I don’t mean…”

“Don’t” Daryl countered quickly as he took a sip from the nearly empty bottle of Jack. “It’s in the past…and it’s good you remember good things.” 

Gen’s smile faltered slightly as she shifted on the sofa, the mixture of exhaustion and booze making her movements slow and lazy. Leaning against Daryl, she found her head against his shoulder. She could feel the man tense slightly before relaxing at the touch, going so far as to shift into a more comfortable position. Without realizing it, Gen found herself draped over Daryl’s form with her head cradled in the crook of his shoulder and collarbone. His hands felt heavy as they rested on her lower back and she was vaguely aware of his sprawled legs on either side of her own. 

“I hate remembering..” She finally muttered in the silence of the room. “Some memories…they come in the blink of an eye…painless and…peaceful…can’t believe I can remember my family’s faces…but…some memories come back so sharp like a knife.” Gen muttered into Daryl’s chest. A shiver raced down her spine as the feeling of fingers shifting up her back registered in her mind before she found Daryl’s fingers rubbing gently at the base of her skull. The feeling was relaxing and caused Gen’s silver eyes to flicker closed momentarily. 

“Did…did you know I was married…” She whispered with a dry laugh. “I was married…but Allan was an asshole to me…stole my work…God…slept with Sarah behind my back for years.” A wet hiccup escaped Gen’s lips as the flood of emotions from her shattered mind came to the forefront. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, staining the dark fabric of Daryl’s t-shirt. “I..I was so mad…but I loved my sister…a-and she was pregnant…I couldn’t leave her…she had him when the world ended….just in my office..” 

Memories flickered across silver eyes that dulled and hazed over, the pieces seeming to fall into place without any effort now. 

“They…were perfectly fine for so long…but…Allan…Allan fucked with my work…he exposed her to the virus…she wasn’t even bitten, but it was so much exposure she got sick….so sick…we didn’t know you could turn without being bitten…we were so confused…all she wanted was to say good bye to Johnny…we didn’t think she’d turn..didn’t think she’d…” A harsh sob escaped her lips and the arms that held her tightened in a form of solid comfort. Daryl didn’t say anything; he merely laid there and listened. Silence stretched out for what seemed like forever as Gen continued to sob softly into Daryl’s chest, the sounds lessening over time.  
“We’ve all lost people…done things we ain’t proud of, but…ya do what ya have to…ta survive. Put Merle down myself…watched a girl I cared about get herself killed doing what she thought was right. Killed people because they were a threat to me and my own.” 

Shifting, Gen moved so she could see Daryl’s face clearly even through the tears. A warm hand touched her cheek, forcing her to keep eye contact. “This world is hell, but ya can’t give up…can’t drown in the darkness. Yer stronger than that…you’ll get through yer memories and what happened ta ya…”

“It hurts though…the darkness…it just…it’s going to consume me…the more my memories come out…the darker things become…I feel like I’m going crazy……I feel so alone.” Gen whispered allowing her silver eyes to gaze down.

There was movement beneath her as Daryl shifted, his grasp moving to her chin, and tilting her face upwards. Blue locked with silver as the archer leaned in closer. 

“Ya ain’t alone.” He muttered softly before Gen felt the softness of Daryl’s lips against her’s. The feeling sent a shock of light through her system, a warm feeling that out weighted the booze came forth as she melted against Daryl’s form. The kiss was slow, gentle, but they moved together with ease. 

When the urge to breath became too much, Daryl was the first to pull away. Feeling flushed and high on the warm feeling that chased the darkness in her soul, Gen  
found herself being pulled down. Resting her head against Daryl’s chest once more, Gen sighed as she felt fingers in her hair and the lull of sleep consumed her.

Everything felt…heavy…

Everything felt…painful…

It took unnatural will for her eyes to flicker open only to be blinded by the illumination of bright fluorescent lights that hung high above her head. The air was unnaturally cold, chilling her to the bone as a pounding headache pulsed behind her eyes. Squinting into the light, she turned her head to the side and allowed her eyes to close. Shifting, she attempted to sit up only to be rattled by a pull on her wrist. Eyes flickered open once more to gaze at one of her wrists bound in leather and tied harshly to a metal surface. Widening in shock, she was quick to turn her head to her other wrist, finding it in the same position. Pulling, she winced at the digging leather that scrapped at her flesh. Dropping her head back onto the surface, she hissed at her pounding headache and the echo of clattering metal.

Metal? She was on an examination table! But, the only examination table was in the emergency wing of the building. A harsh sound, the sound of a can like hairspray echoed at the other end of the room. Shifting her head, her eyes locked on the office door that locked her away from the rest of the world. “A-a~” Coughing, she found herself unable to voice a sound, something tight around her throat giving her just enough space to breathe. Struggling against her binds, panic built in her chest, her heart hammered in confusion and terror. 

The click of the door caught her attention, eyes landing on the shadow of a man in the doorway. It was difficult to see with the bright lights above her head, but she could make out a long table that the man wandered to. Struggling with her binds once more, she whined low in her throat when the man’s attention turned to her.

“You’re awake…good…good…I’m so excited that you could be a part of this. I think I’ve figured out a way to survive this new world.” He spoke, dark and low, a voice she could not place nor recognize. 

“You know, Allan said you would be difficult to coax into helping…so high on your morals and your all so important research.” The man scoffed as he wandered around the room, collecting and doing things she found impossible to follow. “You know….I tried this on those lab aids of yours….what were their names….oh! Molly and Jean. They volunteered you know…sadly…it failed with them…but I’ve fixed up the formula some so things should go so much better with you.” He chuckled darkly as he wandered over to her.

Eyes followed the man’s movements, unable to see his face well. A whine left her lips and her will to struggle was renewed as one of his hands grasped tightly onto her arm. The pressure, the hold was enough to bruise if not break the bone. While one hand held her down, her eyes witnessed the other rise high in the air. The light caught the shine of the needle before it came down and bore in the junction of her shoulder and neck. A scream ripped through her throat as the burn of the injection raced through her veins. Breathing became impossible, her heart thudded out of rhythm, her body convulsed rattling the table. Every cell in her body seemed to be on fire, melting as the heat of her body rose until her vision began to blacken.

When she woke next, she found herself in rather familiar arms, but the face would not look her way. She was sore, she ached, everything felt wrong…too hot…too close…too tight. It was as if her skin was crawling, her stomach turned, her head pounded, and her body trembled. “Shhh…” The familiar man hushed her, an unreadable expression upon his features as he finally turned his dark brown eyes towards her. “You’re gonna save the world ----…can’t believe you survived that…I’m…sorry.” The man’s voice broke above her. “I’m sorry it had to go down like this but…but I knew…I knew you would be the key.”

“Would you hurry…if you don’t get her on this she will not survive.”

“Are you sure that will keep her alive?”

“State of the art hospital bed….designed it myself…provided all the necessary life support requirements without all the equipment.”

“Won’t that hurt her more…” 

“She’s so drugged up she won’t feel a thing.” 

She couldn’t follow the conversation, didn’t understand it. Yet, she felt the man that held her move and then another set of hands. 

“Alright…on three…if we don’t go down at the same time it won’t line up right…1…2…3”

Sharp, blinding pain caused her eyes to snap open as a scream ripped from her throat. Pain, blind pain pulsed up and down her back following the fast beat of her heart. Sitting up, Gen blinked harshly, shaking, trembling as silver gazed around quickly in an attempt to figure out where she was.  
Blinking back tears, Gen took in the interior of her room in Aaron and Eric’s home. She was in her own bed, the blankets pooled on the floor from all of her thrashing in the night. The house was unnaturally quiet and it took Gen a moment to notice the time. It was very early in the morning, barely four if the clock beside her bed was anything to go by. 

How had she not waken Eric or Aaron? Maybe the screaming had been in her head? With a shaky breath, Gen swung her legs over the side of her bed and rested her head in her hands, balancing her elbows on her knees. What the hell kind of nightmare had that been? Except…it wasn’t a nightmare…she knew deep down that it wasn’t. 

Frowning, Gen realized that she was no longer where she had fallen asleep at. Daryl wasn’t here and that could only mean he moved her before he left. Sighing heavily, Gen rubbed her hands over her face before standing up. There was this sudden, deep need to run…to run from this place and just…run. This place was beginning to feel too small, it was beginning to feel as if the walls were coming in…as if she would die if she stayed her. 

Without much of a care for the weather or her shoes, she quietly left the house. The chill in the air caused her to shiver, but she merely wrapped her arms about herself and headed towards the gate. She remembered being told that anyone could come and go as they pleased, they just had to check out at the gate. Pausing, Gen noticed the lack of light in the small shack next to the gate, meaning the guard was not there. Maybe it was a shift change?

Swallowing hard, Gen moved quickly to the gate and glanced into the little shack. Turning, she brought her attention to the gate and quickly pushed back the gate cover. A startled gasp escaped her lips as the sound caught the attention of a Walker that had been just behind the actual gate. It’s attention was quick to focus on her and she froze, watching as the creature pressed itself against the gate and reached for her through the bars. Growls and snarls of desire left the creature’s rotten throat, gore smearing onto the bars as it tried to push itself through the gate to reach her. 

She couldn’t help herself as she stood there and stared. Glossy white orbs locked with her silver eyes as it reached for her. Without thinking, she took a step closer and then another. Her mind switching gears to the forest and what had happened. Had it been some sort of fluke? Had Daryl really killed it in enough time.  
Standing close to the gate, barely within arm’s length, she watched. Decayed fingers brushed against the material of her tank top, but she stared at its face. The angry and crazed features of a young man who was missing half his jaw and one eye was taken in by her blank stare. Closely, she watched and saw the slight flare of nostrils as the creature breathed in. Then like a switch, the fingers stopped moving and slowly the hand fell. 

The angry features smoothed to blankness, emotionless, and still like a statue. She stared at him and he stared back. Pulling her lower lip between her teeth, Gen chanced another step forward now fully within reach. It didn’t move, it continued to stare with no reaction. Chewing her lip hard, Gen pulled her gaze away for a moment, landing upon a crowbar that sat against the guard shack. Swallowing hard, Gen moved away, keeps still locked on the creature as she began walking slowly towards the guard shack. A shuffling sound caught her attention and her eyes widened as she watched the Walker shuffle along the gate…following her? Picking up the crowbar, Gen tilted her head to the side before walking down the length of the gate once more. Her eyes never left that of the creature’s as it continued to follow her back and forth. 

Finally, she came to a pause and the creature stopped in front of her. 

“What the fuck did he do to me…” 

She whispered harshly into the darkness of the night as she rose the crowbar, stabbing the Walker cruelly in the eye. Pulling the bar back, she allowed it to clatter onto the ground as she watched the corpse drop too. Pulling the cover back on the gate, Gen chanced one glance behind her before she made her way back towards the house. 

When she reached it, she spotted a familiar figure moving up the porch. “Daryl.” She spoke up, voice soft and uneven. She felt broken and empty in the darkness even when blue eyes locked onto her. “The hell ya doin’ up?” Daryl questioned, not angry just confused. A sheepish smile formed upon his lips as he came up to her, guilt clear in his eyes. “Sorry…Rick needed me..was on my way ba--.”

Gen didn’t let him finish, didn’t care to hear his reasons for leaving her. Once she was in reach, she found herself wrapping her arms about the man’s waist and burying her face into his chest. “Gen?” He questioned softly and she could feel his hand in her hair again. “Just….had a nightmare…couldn’t find you…” She muttered, not sure if she could voice what else had happened or how she had been planning on leaving this place. 

A hum echoed above her and she felt herself being guided back into the house. “Let’s get ta bed, okay?” Daryl spoke softly.


	9. A Dark Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG Finally have a chapter out! Yippie!
> 
> Alright, hope you all enjoy.
> 
> As always comments, questions, ect are always welcome <3

There was this strange feeling, a flutter like butterfly wings in her chest. It ached, but the feeling was just as peaceful as it was painful. Such a strange mixture of emotions, ones Gen was sure she had never felt before. Her lips tingled with passed warmth, a reminder that her memory sent to the hammering of her heart. They hadn’t spoken of the action, the softness of the touch. It was forgotten as easily as the passing moon, but it was still there. It lingered on her taste buds like dark chocolate, bittersweet and enjoyable with a flavor all its own. 

An index finger, gently tapped at the overly red tint of her very own bottom lip. The feeling was still there and her mind supplied the questions. Why had Daryl kissed her? What did it mean? The man acted no different the day after, not even the night of. After returning to Aaron’s home, Daryl had showed her to bed, stayed with her till she fell asleep, and then just as quietly as he came he left. That was days ago.

Silver flickered upwards; eyes locked on the gloom filled skies of a rainy day. Well, the rain had yet to fall but it was there. Imprisoned by the clouds and ready to break, seal the world in darkness and cool droplets. Those same eyes flickered downwards at the sound of movement, her form shifting to sit up fully on the steps of the house. A familiar figure caused a tug at her lips, a quirk of a smile. 

“Yer up early.” That gravely tone echoed in her ears and caused the tug to grow slightly.

“Think I’m going to let you leave without saying goodbye.” Gen commented softly, as if speaking any louder would awaken the rest of the world so early in the morning haze. 

Daryl scoffed, the sound familiar and relaxing, and she watched as the man moved to lean against the porch rail less than five feet from her spot. “Aaron ready to go?” He questioned off handedly, his blue eyes flickering to her and then to the door of the house. He seemed nervous, a bundle of anxious neurons, alive with uncontrolled energy. 

“You know those two…” Gen commented, allowing her gaze to flicker back towards the streets of Alexandria. “Eric’s saying goodbye.” She spoke with a small snicker, the pleasure filled sounds having been one of the reasons for her early morning. “Should be down in a few though….”

“Will you be alright out there?” Gen questioned, her playful tone turning quiet and serious.

“We’ll be fine.” Daryl commented in return and she could feel his eyes upon her. 

“How long will you be gone?”

“ ‘Bout a week or so, maybe less…” 

“Sure you should leave today? Looks like it’ll rain.”

“Naw, it’ll be fine fer awhile…best get out before it comes.” 

A gently hum was Gen’s only respond to those words as silver watched the soft wisp of grass that danced in the gentle breeze. It was hypnotic really, staring at the   
blades as they were moved to some unknown song of the world. Life was strange like that, she supposed. Always dancing, always moving to a beat no human could ever hear. A stray thought, the image of a walker danced behind her mind’s eye. With a quick blink and a shake of the head, the thought was banished before it could even form. 

“Ya…gonna be okay?” Daryl’s voice echoed gently causing a small jolt of surprise in Gen’s form.

Silver eyes snapped to the man who no longer stood against the railing of the porch, but was now sitting comfortably beside her. Huffing, a small half laugh, Gen shrugged her shoulders as a forced smile began to pull at her lips. “Course…why wouldn’t I be?”

“Stay behind the walls…don’t go out there without me.” 

“What?” Gen questioned, eyes widening a fraction as she turned to face the man beside her.

“Stay behind the walls…where it’s safe.” 

“I-I…I’m not defenseless…”

“Promise me.” 

Gen paused, lips sealed as her wide eyes watched the man with confusion and wonder. Emotion danced behind those blue wells, emotions that were not spoke of or even laced his accented voice. Was there…concern there? Worry?

“Why?” Gen questioned softly.

“Why? Fuck Gen…” Daryl muttered, rubbing his chin as his eyes averted from hers before continuing. 

“Don’t wanna be worrin’ about you…getting’ into trouble with them walkers again…”

“I can protect myself…you’ve been training me…pretty good with a gun….” 

“Don’t matter….I don’t want ya going out there…not after…” Daryl paused and Gen’s brow rose.

“I can protect myself Daryl…I saved your ass didn’t I?” Gen muttered feeling a bubble of anger form in her belly. While she enjoyed Daryl’s company, cared for the man, appreciated all he had done for her, she did not want to be viewed as invalid or weak.

“Ya almost got bit yerself.” Daryl hissed, a hint of anger or maybe frustration coming to his lips.

“I told ya…the thing wasn’t gonna bite me.”

“Ya don’t know that…” 

“It wasn’t…I swear it wasn’t.”A familiar exchange of words, a source of argument and chaos over the last few days. No one seemed to believe her words, no one   
seemed to understand it. She had explained it to Rick, Carol, Maggie, and Glen…no one believed her. Daryl, the man who had been her anchor in this lost sea of memories, the one person she knew had to believe her…didn’t. 

“Either way you could have been killed.” Daryl grumbled.

“Why won’t you believe me? Do you trust me so little? Think I’ll go get myself killed by doing something stupid while you’re gone?” 

A warm hand cupped her cheek, her attention fiercely drawn into the man beside her. He was worrying his bottom lip, conflict in his eyes before he lurched forward. A sharp gasp escaped Gen’s lips at the forcefulness of the kiss. It was harder, more forceful than the last one. Where the last one had been gentle, soft, and comforting, this one was passionate and spoke of a variety of feelings. Silver flickered closed as Gen willingly returned the passion of the kiss, her heart hammering with the same feelings from earlier.

A shiver raced down the length of her spine as heat pooled in the pale flesh of her face. Daryl’s tongue swiped at the seam of her lips, an action that left Gen gasping, allowing the hunter to deepen the kiss. His hands framed her face, warm and comforting, but with the ability to control and dominate. After what felt like a lifetime, Daryl pulled slightly away. They were close enough that their lips nearly brushed as he spoke.

“Ain’t that I don’t trust ya….ain’t that I don’t believe you….not sure what to think…all I know is I…I want ya to stay safe while ‘m gone.” A heavy sigh escaped Gen’s lips as silver locked with blue. She could see a small rise in color on the man’s face and that caused a smile to form upon her lips.

“I promise.” 

A sharp cough send them flying apart, blue and silver eyes instantly landing on a very smug, smirking Aaron and a giggling Eric. Feeling her face light up brighter than the Fourth of July, Gen turned her back to the men in an attempt to hide her embarrassment over being caught. She felt Daryl move, watched from the corner of her eye as the hunter chewed at a thumbnail.

“Sorry to interrupt.” Came Aaron’s gleeful tone. “But we gotta get going.”

“Been ready ta go, just waitin’ for you to finish getting’ yer dick wet.” Daryl replied with a mocking tone that to anyone who didn’t know the man wouldn’t catch the playful tone. 

A bark of a laughter escaped Gen as she moved to stand, turning to see Aaron’s flushed features and a rather unaffected Eric. “My fault.” Eric spoke, sounding proud of his own actions. Aaron merely coughed again before walking past them towards the car in the driveway. Shaking her head, she watched as Daryl followed in order to get his bike out of the garage.

“My, my…seems you’ve had a good morning too.” Eric commented causing Gen to giggle again.

“Really, Eric?” She pushed the man’s arm playfully.

“Oh, come on…it’s good to see you two swapping spit…it’s about time.”

“What?”

“Seriously? Gen…I know you lost your memories but you’re not blind…Daryl’s been looking at you since we brought you in.”

“Shut the fuck up Eric…” Gen commented, shaking her head in disbelief before moving to follow the recruiters as they drove their vehicles towards the gate. See could   
see the gathering of Daryl’s people; it seemed she wasn’t the only one that wished to see the men off. Gently, Gen bumped shoulders with Carol, earning her a smile from the older woman. After everything came out, after spending time with the woman, they had formed a rather comfortable friendship. Carol was a woman to learn from, strong, brave, but human. She was solid and helpful, supportive and protective. 

“You going to be okay without him?” Carol questioned, watching as they men geared up the last of their needed supplies.   
“What?” Gen questioned, silver locking on the older woman briefly, spotting the knowing smirk upon her lips.

“You can stay at the house with us if you want or you can come over for supper…have some company.” 

A gentle smile came to Gen’s lips as she leaned slightly into the older woman. “Thanks…I’ll..think about it…”

“Eric can come too, probably wouldn’t want to have a sleepover though.” Carol replied, causing Gen to laugh lightly. 

“You both be careful out there.” Rick’s stern voice caught Gen’s attention, watching as the three spoke over their plans for the trip before parting. Aaron went to Eric, giving the man one more embrace and a kiss for luck before climbing into the car. Gen couldn’t help the huff that escaped her as her eyes locked on the hunter, a small wave the only sign of their departure. 

“Shy idiot…”Carol muttered, waving as the two left beyond the gates. They stayed there until they could no longer be seen. 

“Alright, come on…time to get to work.” Maggie’s voice caught Gen’s attention and the woman sighed heavily. “Why don’t I like the sounds of that?” She commented playfully, earning a smirk from the brunette. “Work is work…never has never will be fun.” Maggie commented before gesturing for Gen to follow.

It had been decided the other day that Gen was more than physically healed enough to help out around Alexandria. It wasn’t something Gen argued about, it wasn’t like she didn’t want to help out around this place. She wanted to feel useful. She was tired of being an invalid and she was ready to prove herself. Sadly, she wasn’t exactly looking forward to interacting with the people of Alexandria. While Daryl’s group had been welcoming, the others here still looked at her with expression of disgust, confusion, and concern. Maybe this was the same way they stared at the walkers beyond the gates? Like a threat that had yet to come forward.

Due to her lack of memories, it was decided that Gen would work with Maggie and Deanna. According to Deanna, the woman could tell Gen was well educated and Maggie was filling in pieces of who Gen use to be as Gen remembered them. Well, the most that consisted of was working at some facility as a scientist, something about working with viruses or something similar. Maggie figured she could help with the designs to expand Alexandria, help with the lesson plans the teachers used for the kids, and such things. 

Gen wasn’t sure what to make of Deanna. The woman seemed…trapped as if in a shell made by the walls her own husband built. There was nothing about this woman that showed strength or survival, yet she was here. There was something Gen was not seeing, that no one was seeing, when it came to Deanna. Gen wondered what that could be. The first day of work had been easy enough, helping Maggie check in on the people of Alexandria, their needs, and wants. She helped plan out runs with the addition of Rick and Michonne.

The day actually passed by quickly, something Gen was fearful wouldn’t happen with Daryl gone and the memory of the walkers still locked in her mind. She hadn’t said a word about it, not after the first time. Hearing people claim that it must have been some trick of the eye or Daryl’s arrow hitting its mark earlier than she thought, made her feel silly to even consider mentioning it again. 

As the days passed, Gen stayed with pretty much the same routine, something that felt good yet oddly unfamiliar. It included breakfast with Eric in the morning, work with Maggie, then having supper, and even spending the night with Daryl’s family. She was beginning to take notice of the slow acceptance they had reached out to her with. For that, somehow Gen found comfort and a strange form of happiness. 

One evening, Gen found herself leaning lazily on the steps up to the house of Daryl’s family. In her lap, a squirmy Judith babbled and grasped playfully at her fingertips as they danced in the air just out of reach of the infant. A sad smile touched Gen’s lips as the infant played, warmth in her chest that was both familiar and painful. Humming gently, Gen found herself remembering a tune that she had heard often as a child. Something her grandfather had sung to her, a sad little tune with so much emotion. Judith seemed to like it, her attention captured, and little blue eyes upon her. 

The gently creaking of wood did nothing to stop her humming until a pair of boots came into sight. Pausing, Gen allowed her eyes to flicker upwards locking on one Rick Grimes. His hands rested gently on his hips, his posture relaxed but still that of a stern leader. 

“Sorry…” Gen whispered, still unsure over Rick’s feelings when it came to her interactions with his daughter. “Carl wanted to go play with the other kids…and Carol was cooking…” 

“It’s alright.” He commented before shifting to sit down on the porch. Gen was stretched out on one of the steps, leaving the man no room otherwise. “That was a…  
rather sad song..” He commented causing Gen to blush slightly.

“Use to be a song my grandfather would sing to me…it’s sad but…always made me feel better.” 

Rick hummed softly, eyes sparkling Gen noticed when Judith began to squirm. Seemed the girl realized her father was there and demanded his attention. Huffing a laugh, Gen easily passed the infant off, watching as Judith snuggled down close to her father. The sight was peaceful, but somehow painful enough to cause Gen to frown gently. 

“You alright?” Rick questioned catching Gen’s attention.

“Oh…sorry…just…thinking…” Silence encased them and Gen noticed how Rick merely continued to watch her and wait. He waited for her to speak.

“I miss Johnny…even though I…hadn’t gotten much time to spend with him. Miss Sarah too.”   
Rick hummed in understanding. It was funny how quickly one of her memories instantly became one for the group. Wheither she told Daryl or Aaron, Maggie or   
Carol…somehow everyone heard about it…well unless Gen said something. She didn’t mind, they were only concerned for her and curious over her.

“Makes me wish I had one before the world went to shit…” Gen finished her thought, catching Rick’s attention.

“Why didn’t you?” Gen paused at Rick’s question, her eyes skimming down to Judith’s now sleeping face. Reaching out, she gently brushed the baby’s hand.

“Wanted too…was married and everything…least something like that…but…”

“But?”

“I…I don’t remember why exactly…pieces are still missing all over the place, but…I…just know I can’t have one.”

“Can’t?”

“Physically…think that’s why Allan cheated on me.” 

Rick hummed again in understanding, but said nothing more. Gen was grateful for that, she really was. There was nothing much to say and she was grateful for Rick’s silent acceptance. There was no judgment or hatred, nothing in his eyes. 

“Gen?” Rick questioned catching the woman’s attention, silver locked on blue. Blue eyes that were pretty, but nothing like a certain hunter’s.

“The walkers…” Rick began caused Gen to huff angrily. “Now, hear me out…” Rick countered quickly enough causing Gen to frown. She hoped Rick hadn’t come out here just to talk about all that. “Do you really think they weren’t going to attack you?” He sounded serious, yet lacked any sort of mocking or accusations. 

“Yes.”

“Why? How?” 

“I don’t know…” Gen sighed heavily as she pulled her knees closer to her body, locking her arms just beneath her knees. “Like I told Daryl…I remember someone doing something to me…injecting me with….something…they did something to me…and I don’t know what or why.” 

“It’s hard to believe…but you haven’t done anything that would suggest you’re lying. Just…be careful…don’t do anything foolish.” 

“You sound like Daryl.”

“He’s just worried, too.” Gen smiled gently, thankful for the lack of pressure to continue the conversation. They spent the rest of the evening there, talking about anything and everything. It felt like having a good friend, even as others gathered, sharing food and a bit of booze. 

Nearly a week and a half had passed and anxieties were beginning to run high. Aaron and Daryl weren’t back yet, but it was possible that they had gotten held up somewhere or something. No one would voice their worries, but it was there. Gen could feel it in the air, the tension thicker than ice. 

She felt it just as much as the rest of them, to the point that it was all she could think about. To the point where she was thinking about breaking her promise and going beyond the gate just to find them. Not that she was a very good tracker, or had the same physical fighting skills as everyone else. Sure, she was getting better at hand to hand and using a gun, but it wouldn’t be enough. It wouldn’t help her figure out where they went or what might have happened. Sighing heavily, Gen stared at the gate from her place on Eric’s porch. Eric was just as anxious, pacing the house, cleaning everything for the fourth time. She felt bad for the man, but there wasn’t much she could do to comfort his fears. There wasn’t much anyone could do, but wait.

A drop of rain caused Gen to flinch and blink silver eyes upwards. The last few days had been cloudy, dark clouds rolling in with the sounds of distant thunder. A storm was coming…a big one any day or anytime now. Shivering slightly, Gen tugged at the sweater she was wearing. The temperature had begun to drop lately too, the changing of seasons unstoppable. Silver eyes glanced to the pile of fabrics, the needle, and the thread that sat to her left. 

Rosita had been helping her hone her sewing skills, a skill she remembers having but it was clear her hands were unpracticed. However, her mind couldn’t remain on such a task not with the knowledge that every second that ticked by made Daryl and Aaron later and later in getting home. 

With a reluctant sigh, Gen turned to resume her work even going so far as to sit on the porch chair as the rain began to coat the Earth. Her silver eyes never failing to flicker towards the gate between passes of the needle as the day passed on. It was early evening, at least according to Eric and the uneaten food that sat next to her. The rain had relaxed some, misting, but not gone. The chill in the air was bad and made her skin break out in goose bumps. She was shivering and she knew it was   
nearly time to return to the warmth of Eric’s home before she caught a cold.

As she set down her needle, hands aching from the continuously mindless work, Gen paused at a sound just beyond the gate. There was the roar of an engine, all to eerily familiar. A smile broke out across her features as she stood and swung the door to the house open. “Eric!” She called. “I think they’re back!” She finished before bolting down the steps of the porch in the mist and headed towards the gate.

She was not the only one to hear the sounds and quickly joined the other gathering members of Daryl’s family as the gates were finally opened. As the sight of the grimy, soaking wet hunter came into view, Gen felt a rush of relief. Aaron’s car pulled in not a second after and to many people’s surprise a large once white truck followed. A new tension seemed to leak into the air, new comers. The Alexandria folks seemed excited, while Daryl’s people and Gen herself felt a nervous energy. No one could predict the consequences of bringing in new people. It could be very good or very bad, but even as nervous as she was Gen trusted Daryl’s judgment.   
After all, he saved her. He knew good from bad.

Gen couldn’t help but approach the motorcycle as Daryl cut the engine and pushed wet hair from his face. A small smile instantly came to his features, relaxing from some unknown stress or worry.

“Gen..” He whispered softly as he got out off his bike. 

“Welcome back.” She returned, unable to resist the urge as she rushed forward and wrapped her arms about the man’s waist. She ignored the muck and mud,   
uncaring of the old blood stains and wet clothing. Daryl seemed surprised, tensing slightly before allowing himself to relax. His strong arms, she felt them as they came around to return the embrace. 

“Daryl.” Rick’s voice called as the leader stepped closer. Gen pulled away, knowing that Daryl’s return was in need of celebrating from his family as well. Rick clasped   
Daryl’s shoulder, pulling the man forward enough to rest his forehead against the other’s. Gen had learned quite quickly how brotherly the action was. Those two   
were connected in an unbreakable friendship. Daryl clasped Rick’s shoulder in return and all Gen could do was smile. 

Silver quickly found Aaron and Eric, locked in an embrace while Eric tried his hardest not to cry. A light feeling was swirling in her form as her eyes returned to the man before her. 

“New people?” Rick questioned once he took a step back, eyeing the white truck. Movement could be seen behind the dark windows, one of the doors was open, but no one had come out yet. 

“Yea.” Daryl muttered.

“Good people?” Gen couldn’t help but question, seeming to beat Rick to the question if the man’s raised brow was anything to go off of.

“Hmmm..” Daryl paused as he rose his left hand to his lips and nipped at his thumbnail. 

“Daryl?” Rick questioned, seeming to understand the unspoken.

“Two women, Mary and Ann….harmless, good people.” Daryl spoke softly.

“Had a little boy named Jack with them, guess his parents died so Mary and Ann are like guardians. Mary’s got a husband, nice guy, Paul.” Taking a deep breath, Daryl shook his head slowly. 

“They’re all fine, but…they got this guy with them…not sure what to make of him…don’t much like him…but they wouldn’t come without him. Said, he saved them or something.” Gen frowned at Daryl’s words, but there wasn’t much she could say or do.

“Then we keep a good eye on them, especially this one you don’t like. Who is he?” Rick questioned, firmly, dangerously. 

Gen’s silver eyes flickered towards the car, watching as two young women got out. One was older, maybe mid-forties with black hair and green eyes, Mary. The other was younger, twenties, with red hair and hazel eyes, Ann. In Ann’s arms was a six year old little boy with blond hair and brown eyes, Jack. A tall man, maybe six foot got out next. He was older, like Mary, must have been Paul. The man was bald with dark eyes, yet seemed gentle in nature. 

“That’s him.” Daryl finally muttered as the last passenger of the truck got out. 

It was a young man, maybe mid-thirty, with short blond-brown locks. His eyes were a deep gray like rolling storm clouds. He was built with broad shoulders and thick   
chest, but he wasn’t overly huge. Barely reaching five foot eight, yet he stood with such a straight back and posture. Something screamed about the man’s over confidence and status in the tiny group of people. 

Gen felt a pit of lead begin to fill her stomach as images began to flash behind her eyelids as she blinked rapidly in confusion. 

God, you’re so smart.

You’re a real artist aren’t you.

You’re so beautiful.

I love you.

You sure you want to work there?

Sound dangerous, will you be okay?

Will you marry me?

I want to have children with you.

Don’t be so stupid!

How dare you think of me like that!

You’re a high and mighty little bitch today aren’t you.

I love you.

So, what am I suppose to do about it?

I’m busy.

No, I won’t be home till late. Don’t wait up.

This should have been my case, my work.

Why do you think you’re so much better than me?

Wait! I can explain!

Sarah means nothing to me! 

I love you.

What have you done?

We could have saved him!

You can’t save anyone, why bother trying?

You’re gonna get yourself killed.

Because I still love you.

Fuck, don’t be a bitch about this.

I’m working with Dr. Hartley, he’s got this wonderful idea.

You’re going to save the world ---.

You’re the answer, Dr. Hartley said so.

\---I’m…I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry.

What have I done? 

What did you do to her!

I love you. 

The voices rang in her head like church bells. A mixture of tones, emotions, tempers, and situations, they were all unclear but they were there. It made her headache, her vision blur, and black spots danced around the edges of her vision. Her chest felt tight, lungs constricted by the darkness that sudden forced its way down her throat. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t think as tears began to trace down her cheeks. Indiscernible rage, fear, sadness, and hurt struck at her heart. The taste of blood, metallic and warm, the taste of tears, salty and wet, and the taste of rain filled her mouth.

“Dr. Allan Tod.”

Daryl’s voice echoed in her mind as the world went black.


	10. Snapped & Bound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> I am soooooo sorry for this long hitaus. I swear I need to seriously get a better writing time down. I tend to get distracted easily and honestly between work and the holidays my muse has been....well...dead. I've been trying my hardest to wrack up a good chapter for you all. Considering all the positive feedback I have been getting, I didn't wish to disappoint anyone. 
> 
> Now, due to you all being so very patient with me I have written a pretty long chapter.
> 
> I am hoping that I can start getting a chapter up at least every week so there are no more like 2 month gaps in my writing....ehhh that just hurts saying XP.
> 
> With that said please enjoy!
> 
> Also side note according to my laptop this story is offically 102 pages long XD
> 
> As always comments, questions, ect are always welcomed <3

The world had gone black, hallowed, and frayed at the edges. Thoughts were gone, emotions heavy as silence seeped into the blackened world. Movement was heavy, slow, and yet so precise it was questionable how she had required any training in anything. Static rang in her ears, voices washy against the silence, breaking it in small waves that didn’t make any sense. Nothing mattered at this moment in her existence, nothing except for the man she held within the line of her sight.

Her steps imprinted themselves in the soft grass, dampened by the oncoming mist of an upcoming storm. Had the storm been a sign? A revelation to her being upon seeing such a person, a person that evoked so much rage and hatred it was uncanny, was it a sign? She couldn’t remember when or how quickly she had left Daryl’s side, tunnel vision leading her to where she was now, ten feet before the man known as Dr. Allan Tod.

Stormy hued eyes locked with her, a sick sense of satisfaction twisting in her veins at the sight of the man’s traumatized expression. There were emotions behind those eyes, thick with a wetness she could no longer comprehend, not from him. Never again would she be able to feel or understand the mind and emotion of such a creature of darkness. Hatred licked at her racing heart, burned her blood to a boil as her hand subconsciously tightened around the handle in her hand. 

“You….” He spoke, voice whispered inspired in awe, laced with guilt, and an emotion he was no longer worthy of having…..love.

A near inhuman growl rumbled in the depths of her chest, limps trembling with suppressed rage. Something wet clung to her cheeks and lashes, metallic iron tainted her tongue, and her grip tightened on the handle. Adrenaline made her move, but her movements were not quick enough. Without warning, a strong arm laced around her waist and a warm hand held her right wrist down to her side. 

The action was like a bolt of lightning to her system causing an audible gasp to escape dark red lips as silver eyes refocused. She could feel the rumble of a broad chest against her back, the low sound of Daryl’s heavy voice in her ear, and the weight of the hunter’s knife in her right hand. 

“I got ya….I got ya…” Daryl was muttering, his voice slowly coming less fogged in her mind. The tone was soothing, comforting, and seemed to snap the tendrils of darkness that had invaded her mind and soul. Silver eyes continued to stare forward however, taking notice of the stares not only from Daryl’s people and the people of   
Alexandria, but also from those of the new comers. 

Their expressions were laced with confusion and concern, but only one expression looked horrified. It was then she realized only Allan had seen the knife in her hand, only he had realized what her actions would have meant. No…wait…he wasn’t the only one. Daryl had seen as well…and Daryl had stopped her. She could feel a bubble of anger form because of the hunter’s actions. Without much thought, she struggled, yanking herself from the man’s grip before turning to lock silver with deep perfect blues. Gritting her teeth, Gen felt the desire to scream and yell. Her mind and heart were agreeing on her emotional state, the only time since waking up. 

Yet, Daryl’s pained expression and firm jaw stopped her short. A warm hand rose to wipe at her left eye causing her to flinch, it was only then that she realized she had been crying. It was then she realized….Daryl understood. He understood everything the moment she stepped away from him and Rick.

“Gen…,” Rick’s voice echoed softly, just beyond Daryl’s shoulder. She could see the anger in his eyes, but he wasn’t staring at her. “Let’s get back to the house.” Carol’s voice flooded her mind next, the woman’s hand heavy on her shoulder, but even her eyes were locked dangerously on one Dr. Allan Tod. 

“Is she alright?” Deanna’s voice called as Carol tugged her close, locking her in the crook of her arm with Daryl still standing close by. “Just emotional….she hasn’t been sleeping, waiting for everyone to get home safe.” It was a lame excuse Carol had come up with, but it had been enough it seemed to calm the tension in the air. “Alright, make sure she gets some rest now. Back to work everyone, newcomers if you’ll come with me please.” Deanna commanded, her authority still valuable even knowing Rick was truly the man in charge.

As the cluster of people began to break apart, Gen felt herself being pulled forward by Carol’s embrace. Daryl’s hand grasped softly at her wrist as if to keep her anchored to the here and now. The two began to lead her away and for that, she was grateful, as her mind seemed to relax, no longer able to function after what had happened. However, it was clear members of Daryl’s family had remained behind and she could not help but glance over her shoulder. 

Stormy gray eyes were locked firmly onto her, but the expression of trauma was replaced with a tight jaw and a deep seeded guilt. She found her footsteps slowing and she paused, resisting the urge of both Carol and Daryl’s gentle coaxing. “Gen..” Daryl spoke softly in an attempt to gain her attention. She could hear him, but her focus was seeded. 

“Genivee…” Allan’s voice was soft, barely audible as a strangely hopeful expression began to bloom upon his features. “Genivee…Genesis….I thought you were dead…” 

“How do you know her?” Rick’s voice is sharp and dangerous, he’s much too close to Allan and the man seemed to back down slightly. Allan always was a coward and a follower, even if he acted the alpha male part, her mind supplied. “She’s my wife.” Allan quipped back; though his stance showed his hesitance to fully stand up to the ex-Sheriff. 

She felt her heart stop, breath constricted tight in her chest as hard lead began to fill her stomach. Then like a wire held tight under pressure, she felt a snap in her mind and a suddenly painful ache in her head. However, what bubbled from her throat was sinister and dark, a laughter filled with disgust and mocking joy. 

“Wife?! He said wife?! Actually called me his wife?!” She choked out between harsh barks of laughter that left her throat scratchy and raw. Tears were beginning to trace down her cheeks again as she turned and pulled herself from between the two bodies of Daryl and Carol. 

“Is that what you still think of me?” She questioned, hysteric as the snapping pain continued to pound behind her eyelids as she took steps closer to the man she once knew and loved. 

“Think I’m still married to you….think I’m still some devoid little housewife?” 

The look in Allan’s eyes registered his shock, but beneath that was the same degrading anger he always showed her when she spoke her mind. “I am not your wife anymore! I stopped trusting you when I found out you were sleeping with my sister! I stopped caring about you when you stole my work and got Sarah and Johnny killed!” She yelled, the anger breaking the surface hard and fast. Her body trembled and her hand longed for the knife that Daryl had taken from her.

“I…” She paused, giving herself but a moment to take a deep breath. Her voice was suddenly low and calm. “I stopped loving you when you tied me to that bed…” 

She could feel the eyes upon her, those of Daryl’s people…

Carol…Rick…Daryl…Glenn…Maggie. 

She could feel the eyes of Deanna and the newcomers who stood but a few feet away.

“A-allan?” A timid voice called, breaking the silence that seemed to stretch on for far too long. Silver eyes flickered to Deanna and the red head that stood nearby, Ann. There was something in the woman’s wide-eyed stare that caused a sad smile to form upon Gen’s lips. She recognized that expression, that level of devotion for another human being. 

“Found a new family….huh? Guess you got what you wanted…” Gen muttered as she took a slight step backwards. “Good….if you let them stay Deanna….keep him away from me…I might just kill him.” 

With that, Gen turned her back to the man her mind supplied was once her husband and walked away. Carol was quick to catch up, looping an arm around her, stirring her towards the pair of homes Rick’s group occupied. Maggie’s footfalls could be heard but a few steps behind. 

Once beyond the threshold, Gen lost it as a broken sob escaped her lips. She was easily guided to the sofa in the living room and nestled easily between the two women. 

“Shhh…shhh..” Carol hummed softly, arms locked tight around her shoulders, allowing her the chance to sob against a firm shoulder.   
Maggie’s hand ran soothing circles on her back, her voice soft and comforting in her ear. 

“It’s okay…it’s okay. Yer safe here. Ain’t gonna let that one near ya.” The woman’s voice was thick and laced with a deep seeded sense of protection.   
“Why of all people is he here? I thought he was dead….he should be dead!” Gen snapped out against Carol’s shoulder. There was a thick silence for several moments before Maggie spoke up.

“He’s the one…that gave you them scars…” It was a statement, not a question. “Make you look the way you do.” 

A dry laugh escaped Gen’s boneless body as she twisted slightly to gaze over at Maggie.

“No….he isn’t that smart…or that violent…didn’t make me what I am…didn’t give me these scars. He helped…him…though.”

“Him?” Maggie questioned, confusion lacing her features, but her concern and worry stayed present. 

“I don’t remember…but someone else got Allan to do what he did…Allan’s a coward of a man…even if he tries to act all big and bad.” Gen sighed out softly, her tears beginning to run dry. 

“My head hurts…” She muttered weakly, feeling Carol nod before shifting. “Here, lie down. I’ll get you some medicine and water.” With that Carol was up and gone and Maggie was helping her lay back on the sofa. She took up a seat on the edge of the coffee table instead as they silently waited for Carol to return. 

“Genivee huh? Is that your real name?” Carol questioned a soft pleasant tone in her voice as she handed over the small white pills and water. 

“I prefer Gen.” Gen claimed easily enough, the sound of her name a familiar bell in her ear, but now too laced with pain and darkness to feel right. 

“I like Gen.” Maggie agreed happily, as Gen took the meds. 

“Me too.” Carol chimed in as the front door swung open with a harsh bang. Shifting in surprise, Gen glanced over the back of the sofa. Her eyes widened at the sight of a disgruntled Dixon, left hand bloody, knuckles split. Glenn was close behind him, looking a strange mixture of angry, worried, and concerned. His eyes were locked on the archer and whatever sentence he was about to say was cut short by the banging of the door. 

“Glenn?” Maggie questioned.

“Pookie? What the hell did you do to your hand?”Carol question, already up and headed to the small closet just inside the kitchen where they kept their first aid kit. 

“He punched the shit outta that Allan guy as soon as you guy’s left. Guy said something about Gen and he snapped.” Glenn relayed easily, as if this was something somewhat common.

“Shoulda put a bolt in his ass.” Daryl grumbled as he pulled sharply away from Carol’s attention. The two were stubborn, but Carol would win out on treating Daryl’s wounds. Gen noticed she always did. However, Gen was a bit surprised over Daryl’s level of anger. Sure, she had seen the man get irritated and snippy, but this was completely different. He looked ready to explode and damn near out for blood. 

“What’d he say?” Gen heard Maggie question Glenn softly as Carol ushered Daryl down into the armchair that sat next to the sofa. “…said something about her turning out as ugly as a walker.” Glenn muttered softly causing Gen to frown. Allan had always been a cynical bastard, if her memories served her right. She couldn’t help but question why she had ever fallen for the man in the first place…when had he changed?

“Where’s Rick?” Carol questioned as Daryl huffed, giving the woman a rather hard time in cleaning his injured hand.  
“He’s with Deanna and the new people…he doesn’t seem to keen on keeping Allan around.” Glenn supplied.

“Good.” Daryl snapped sharply and Gen couldn’t help but frown softly. Why were they all so angry? It didn’t make much sense to her. She was the one that was supposed to be angry, but with her pounding headache she couldn’t muster the energy to be angry anymore. All her emotions had zapped out of her in that one confrontation, like some sort of deep needed sense of closure. Even if her head was still foggy and hurt, she had confronted an ugly piece from her past. Cut it out quick like a wicked tumor.

“You said that group was close with Allan, Daryl…think they’d split up? All leave? Want him to stay?” Maggie questioned, voicing her concern.

“Fuck if I care…stay…go…long as that fucker’s gone I don’t care.” 

“I said I didn’t care if he stayed…as long as he stayed away from me.”

Silence settled in like a thick woven blanket at Gen’s words and suddenly, the woman felt eyes upon her.

“Gen?” Carol questioned with a firm frown. 

“The hell?” Daryl’s voice boomed over Carol’s as he suddenly shot to his feet. “Ya want that motherfucker stayin’ here? After what he’s done ta ya?” The man’s temper was bubbling at the surface as Gen suddenly found herself crowded against the arm of the sofa. However, maybe the past her would have flinched…gotten scared. Yet, the her now somehow knew that Daryl would never hurt her. Trusted the man with her life, something she hadn’t exactly realized until faced with the man’s temper.

“Fuck…Gen ya wanna still be with that guy or sumthin? Let him leave another scar on ya.” A strange tone of hurt laced under the grave of his anger. It fell upon deaf ears as the sting of such an accusation sunk in. Sure, Allan had once been a wonderful man, but he changed. Still he never hurt her. He had simply changed and followed someone worse. He’d never have the balls to hurt her on his own.

The shove came without warning, causing the hunter to stumble backwards, and nearly fall over the coffee table.

Suddenly, Gen found herself on her feet with new tears in her eyes. “No! Of course I don’t! But it’s not my decision!” Taking a steady breath, Gen reached up to quickly wipe at her eyes as she moved past Maggie and towards the front door. “Gen!” Carol called out, causing her to stop short. 

Filled with so much anger, hurt, and pain Gen turned and snapped. “Why the hell do you people care so damn much?! I’m not part of your group…I’m not one of you…I’m a disgusting abomination of some sick fucker trying to play God or who knows what! You don’t have to waste your time on me….I never asked you too…”

Without another word, Gen slipped out the front door that had never been shut. She could hear a voice or two fly from the house after her, followed by the sound of something being knocked over and crashing to the floor. Ignoring the chaos behind her, she headed towards Eric and Aaron’s home. Daryl’s words stung sharp in her head, after everything how could he possible say that? He was the only one she revealed such memories too, told him about any bad memories that came up because of Allan. For him to think she would ever consider going back to him? Even after today’s actions? As if she would ever allow herself to get hurt in such a way again!

Stomping up the steps of Eric and Aaron’s house, she pushed the door open none to gently. The house was quiet; no one was home since there were new comers Aaron was probably with Rick and Deanna. Eric wouldn’t leave his side. Rubbing at her eyes harshly, Gen trotted up the steps to the bedroom she called her own here. 

She felt sick, her head ached, and this strange sense of pain and guilt flooded her system. Once behind her own bedroom door, she sniffled as a fresh sob escaped her lips. Why had she said all that? She cared so much about Daryl and his group. Overtime it had become clear that they cared for her too, especially after the events of today. She couldn’t remember anyone ever getting angry for her, sticking up for her, protecting her, and still being strong enough to allow her a shoulder to cry upon.   
She wasn’t worth such kindness and her actions today seemed to only amplify that. There was a deep mixture of shame and regret in her chest, but still she knew she wasn’t family to them. Therefore, now she felt she didn’t have a place. She wasn’t their family, but had accepted their kindness. Yet, she had turned around in her anger and spit on that kindness. Wandering into the bathroom, she began to splash water onto her face before she paused. Catching a glance at her reflection in the mirror, she suddenly felt a surge of anger at the reflection that stared back at her. 

Sighing heavily, she lowered her eyes and grumbled to herself. “Shouldn’t have even woken up…why did I wake up?” Glancing up once more, Gen groaned in resentment and anger as her hand clasped around the glass soap dish beside her. Without thinking, she smashed the small object into the mirror, shattering her reflection, and distorting her image. Glass now littered the bathroom as she dropped the soap dish in the sink and left the room. 

There was a deep seeded desire, one she had not felt since her first day awake growing in her veins. Run…she needed to run. Her instincts won out against her tired and worn mind. Quickly, she found her pack that she used for runs with Daryl and threw it upon the bed. Opening drawers, she began to gather any basics her racing mind could think of. She was so busy in her task that she failed to hear the front door open or the barely there footfalls coming up the stairs. 

“What are you doin?” A voice questioned the tone sharp and deep. 

Gen paused as her eyes flickered up and locked on dark blues, Daryl. Biting her bottom lip, feeling the cut there from when she bit down earlier, Gen sighed. Pausing in her actions, she pointed to her bag half-heartedly before turning towards her closet. 

“Leaving…”

She didn’t see his face, but she heard the anger in his voice. 

“What? Why?” 

“I’m too much trouble…I can’t stay here anymore.” 

“Says who?”

“Me!” Gen snapped turning to lock gazes with the taller man. “Me! I say because nothing but trouble follows me. God” She hissed as she runs her fingers through her white hair.

“I have to Daryl…no one trusts me here….those who do…well I just basically shit all over their kindness…kindness I don’t deserve…I’m not worth you all getting angry or hurt or sad or concerned over…I don’t know who or what I am…I’m some fucking freak…a nobody that you all happened upon…”

Throwing her bag over her shoulder, Gen attempted to move past the archer that stood in her doorway. A firm grasp of her forearm halted her before she could go much further. 

“So, ya think leavin’ is gonna do anyone any good?” Daryl questioned anger evident in his voice. Gen locked eyes with the man, his stubborn nature coming forth and…was that hurt in his eyes? 

“Yes, it’ll be less of a burden on you all…”

“Bullshit.” Daryl snapped, cutting her off easily.

“Yer scared and confused.” 

“Don’t tell me how I’m feeling..” Gen grumbled as she attempted to push past the man’s larger built. However, without warning Gen found herself hauled against a wall in the hallway. Daryl’s larger form crowded against her, his palms flat on the wall on either side of her head, his arms trapping her. 

“Stop it!” Daryl snapped, his face mere inches from her own. “You’re terrified and ya feel lonely. Ya woke up with no one, nothing, no memory, no family, and somehow   
you think because of whatever you are ya don’t deserve such things. Ya act like what you are is a punishment, which people will come to hate you for it….or worse leave you for it.” 

Warm hands shifted to cup her cheeks, keeping her gaze locked onto his own. “For being so fuckin’ smart, ya sure as hell are dumb.” He grumbled, the anger slipping from his voice as he continued. “Yer family…ya might not get that, but ya are. You slipped into the group easily and ya put in so much effort, it doesn’t go unnoticed. Everyone cares about ya…it’s a family’s job to care and worry…get angry and get sad for someone. I know it ain’t easy to accept at first, but they mean well and they won’t abandon ya. Today was stressful, yer hurtin’…they understand…I understand.”

“Then why did you get so angry? Why did you accuse me of wanting to go back with him? You know how he makes me feel…” Gen found herself without much voice, her tone low and soft, fearful. 

“Dixon’s ain’t smart…shouldn’t have opened my mouth. I got so anger…” Daryl paused and Gen’s silver eyes flickered to the dusting of color overtaking the man’s face, just beneath his beard. It was working to the tips of his ears and suddenly, she felt her heart stutter in her chest. “What he said about ya…yer…yer not ugly…yer not some fuckin’ freak.”

A small frown pulled at Gen’s lips as she watched Daryl closely. What did this man see when he looked at her? Why couldn’t she see it? She didn’t see it. “You..don’t have to lie Daryl.”Her words were answered by a low grumble of anger as blue eyes narrowed sharply at her. “Dixon’s don’t lie either.” He muttered. “Yer just too God damn stupid.”

Before she could react in anger at his words, Gen was pressed firmly against the wall as the archer slotted his body along hers. With a hold on her cheeks, he forced her head up and claimed her lips with a deeply possessive kiss. 

Her heart fluttered harshly in her chest as a dark dusting of color took over her features. Unable to help herself, Gen’s silver eyes flickered closed and she returned the kiss with as much passion as the hunter provided. It was almost as if they were made to fit one another, their lips moving mindlessly in sync in a dance as old as time.   
After what felt like eternity, Daryl pulled back and Gen couldn’t help but gasp softly for air. Feeling dazed and overwhelmed, Gen watched as Daryl pulled away and left her against the wall. The archer wandered into her room, coming back out but a moment later with her pack swung over his shoulder. He must have caught her look of confusion because his lips merely quirked in a small smile as he grasped her hand. With a firm pull, Gen found herself stumbling after the man, down the stairs, and out of the house.

“Daryl?” She questioned, as she was lead in the direction of his group’s two houses.

“Shoulda done this long time ago.” He muttered in reply and Gen couldn’t help the blush and nervous tension that began to tremble throughout her being. Was the archer doing what she thought he was going to do?

“D-daryl I can’t.” She spoke attempting to slow the man’s firm steps, but failing miserably as Daryl merely tightened his grip on her hand. The force was painful, nearly bruising, but somehow Gen couldn’t help but feel as if it was a sign of the man’s desire for her to stay. Swallowing hard, she allowed herself to be ushered into one of the two houses. 

Daryl had released her hand upon entering the home, but stood firmly behind her as she was confronted with a room full of people. Silver eyes widened as they gazed over each individual, the sense of shame and guilt and regret tearing at her heart again. Silence stretched for what seemed like forever before a heavy sigh escaped someone.

“Bout damn time Pookie.” Carol commented as she stood up and came towards her. Gen found herself in the woman’s embrace quickly, the hold firm and unrelenting. When Carol pulled back, her expression was harsh and honest, yet somehow loving and caring. “You scare us like that again…and I’ll feed you to the walkers strung up by your toes.” The woman’s crude sense of humor got to Gen before she realized it and she giggled softly. “I’m so sorry.”

“I know.” Carol replied with a soft smile as she pulled away. Suddenly, Gen found herself being pulled into several different hugs, her back pattered, and the room filling with noises of acceptance. It was strange, alien, and a bit suffocating, as each member in the group seemed to express their gratefulness to her presence. She didn’t exactly understand, but between her exhaustion and headache, Gen couldn’t help but come to accept the warm feelings in her chest. 

Finally, she ended up before Rick and she couldn’t help but smile as the ex-Sheriff clasped her shoulder firmly before letting her go. “We’re gonna have to find a place for her.” Tara called from the floor where she sat happily leaning against the armchair Abraham occupied. “We don’t have any more spare rooms…” Sasha commented off handedly. “And most of us are already bunked together.” Sasha continued. “I’ve got an extra room.” Morgan commented from his spot in the corner of the room. “Don’t have many rooms, but I have an extra one or two.” 

“She ain’t going nowhere….already got a place set up for her.” Daryl commented, catching Gen off guard just a bit. The man had just returned home from a recruit, how he could possibly have a place all set up for her already.

“Oh, that’s right.” Carol commented with a knowing smirk.

“Well, now that that is settled….”

“Wait…you all want me to…live here?” Gen commented, accidentally cutting Rick off without thinking. The ex-Sheriff merely smiled at her before he nodded, as if the simple and quick answer was enough. It wasn’t, but Gen didn’t exactly get much more say in the matter as Rick continued speaking.

“You’re family.” That warmth grew as a deep blush colored Gen’s cheeks. Seeming to sense how uncomfortable she was, Carol pulled her away from Rick and towards the back of the gathering near the stairs. She found herself slotted next to Daryl in a heartbeat. 

“Now then…with that settled…we have a group of newcomers. I need all eyes on them at all times. Interact with them…get to know them…see how well they may or may not fit here…especially that Allan guy…Deanna wants to give him a chance…I don’t want to…and I know you all don’t either.” Rick’s blues landed on her and she felt herself growing uncomfortable.

“I already warned him he’s to stay away from you…but for now don’t go out anywhere alone.” Rick commented firmly, the order clear without being demanded. Gen could do nothing but nod slowly. 

“Why let him stay?” Maggie questioned sharply, her question seeming to answer the one burning behind Daryl’s deep blue eyes. 

“Seems…him and that woman Ann are…an item…and she’s pregnant.” 

Gen couldn’t help the scoff that left her lips as she shook her head in disgust. It didn’t much surprise her, the news, it was simply disgusting to hear about. However, she could see where Deanna was coming from with wanting to give him a chance. If Ann was attached to him, she might or might not leave with him if he is forced to leave.   
The world out there isn’t a safe place for a baby, especially for one that hasn’t even been born yet. If they send him away, it would be like a death sentence to Ann and her unborn baby. That is if the attachment was that strong, which it looked as such for the moment. 

Gen couldn’t help but watch in wonder from a distance as Rick discussed several other things with the group, clearly this was common practice. According to Carol, like a fly in her ear, this happened at least every other day. It was their way of keeping on top of what was going on, while Rick was their leader it seemed everyone’s input counted. 

By the end of it all, Gen was exhausted and Carol was quick to rush her off with Daryl. She said something about Daryl showing her where she was going to sleep.   
That somewhere to sleep caused a deep blush to form as Gen found herself standing in a decent sized bedroom before a big bed with a queen sized mattress. “I-I’m staying here?” She questioned gazing at Daryl, who was working on getting his boots off. “With you?” 

Daryl paused, his blue eyes gazing up and Gen could feel them searching her. “Yea…that alright?” He questioned, his tone soft spoken once more and emotionless. His eyes showed his concern, his worry however and Gen realized he was just as nervous about this as she was. “Y-yeah…it’s alright.”

“I’ll be on the floor so…” 

“Why?” Gen questioned watching as Daryl stood up, a faint coloring coming to his cheeks. 

“Figured it’d be more comfortable.”

“Then the bed?” Gen questioned, humor lacing her tired voice.

“More comfortable for you.”

Gen frowned; her cheeks darkening as she gently shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t matter to me. W-we could just share.” Gen’s silver eyes watched as Daryl turned his back to her, digging through a dresser and stacking up clothes for a shower. “Works for me.” Daryl muttered, refusing to look at her as he gathered his stuff. 

“Gonna shower….Genivee” He spoke slipping past her with all the grace and speed of a sneaky cat. “It’s Gen!” She called after him. Watching him go, Gen frowned softly, having not caught sight of his face. Her heart hammered in her chest as confusion fell over her mind over Daryl’s action. He was a mystery if she ever knew one and it seemed he had somehow been attached to her. She wasn’t sure how long he would stay attached or even how far this attachment might go. 

Where was any of this going? And why her? There wasn’t much her mind could supply as her head hammered away. Making sure the door was firmly closed, Gen changed into a pair of flannel pants and a tee shirt to sleep in. Spotting the side of the bed Daryl’s crossbow leaned against, she choose the other side of the bed to lie down in.   
Settling into the softness of the mattress and blanket, Gen felt herself sigh as the tension began to leave her form. Lying there, she listened to the noise of the house as people began to settle down. Movement in the kitchen signaling someone cooking, not that she was very hungry and she could hear another shower going. It was oddly comforting to hear so many bodies moving around and it didn’t take long for the noise to lull her into a deep, much needed sleep. She barely felt the tip of the mattress as another body climbed in. However, a pleasant sigh escaped her lips as warm arms encircled her, pulling her flush against a firm chest as sleep consumed her.

**Author's Note:**

> Currently I have joined tumblr  
> Feel free to follow for story updates
> 
> lovesickemerald.tumblr.com


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